Ukraine said on Friday that its army will launch a counteroffensive in the east of the country – against Russian forces.
The announcement came after Russia annexed four Ukrainian regions and asked Kiev’s army to stop fighting.
“Nothing changes for Ukraine: we continue to liberate our land and people and restore our territorial integrity,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
While the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said on September 30 that Kiev is seeking accelerated membership of Ukraine in NATO, after the decision taken by Putin to annex four Ukrainian regions.