Ukraine news latest: Vladimir Putin to formally annex land from Ukraine in speech as UN warns of ‘dangerous escalation’

VLADIMIR Putin will annex four Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine at a Kremlin ceremony today. The Russian leader will claim he has scored victory in the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia following sham referendums over recent days. Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov said: “In the Georgian Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace at 15:00 (1200 GMT) a signing ceremony will take place on the incorporation of the new territories into Russia.” This comes as the UN have warned that today’s events would mark a “dangerous escalation” and jeopardise prospects for peace. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told reporters: “Any decision to proceed with the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine would have no legal value and deserves to be condemned.” Read our Ukraine-Russia live blog below for the latest updates…