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Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during a ceremony formally annexing four regions of Ukraine Russian troops occupy, at the Kremlin in Moscow on Friday. Gavriil Grigorov/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during a ceremony formally annexing four regions of Ukraine Russian troops occupy, at the Kremlin in Moscow on Friday.

MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved to formally annex four Ukrainian territories, signing what he calls "accession treaties" that world powers refuse to recognize. It's Putin's latest attempt to redraw the map of Europe at Ukraine's expense.

"The people made their choice," said Putin in a signing ceremony at the Kremlin's St. George hall. "And that choice won't be betrayed" by Russia, he said.

The Russian leader called on Ukraine to end hostilities and hold negotiations with Moscow but insisted that the status of the annexed territories was not up for discussion.

"I want the authorities in Kyiv and their real overlords in the West to hear me: The residents of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are becoming our citizens," Putin said. "Forever."

From left: Moscow-appointed head of Kherson region Vladimir Saldo and head of Zaporizhzhia region Yevgeny Balitsky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Denis Pushilin, leader of self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Leonid Pasechnik, leader of self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, at a ceremony at the Kremlin on Friday to sign treaties for the four regions of Ukraine to join Russia. Grigory Sysoyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP hide caption

From left: Moscow-appointed head of Kherson region Vladimir Saldo and head of Zaporizhzhia region Yevgeny Balitsky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Denis Pushilin, leader of self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Leonid Pasechnik, leader of self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, at a ceremony at the Kremlin on Friday to sign treaties for the four regions of Ukraine to join Russia.

Putin was joined by Moscow-backed separatist leaders and Kremlin-appointed officials from the four regions, as senior Russian lawmakers and dignitaries looked on.

Outside the Kremlin, preparations were under way for a rally with banners saying that Russia and the newly integrated territories are "together forever."

People approach screens located near the Kremlin and Red Square before the live broadcast of a ceremony to declare the annexation of the Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in Moscow on Friday. Russian authorities held referendums in the occupied areas of Ukraine that were condemned by Kyiv and governments worldwide. Reuters hide caption

People approach screens located near the Kremlin and Red Square before the live broadcast of a ceremony to declare the annexation of the Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in Moscow on Friday. Russian authorities held referendums in the occupied areas of Ukraine that were condemned by Kyiv and governments worldwide.

The move caps a week that saw the Kremlin choreograph referendums in Russian-occupied territories that purportedly delivered overwhelming majorities in favor of joining Russia.

Ukraine and its Western allies denounced those votes as "shams," in violation of international law.

United Nations chief Antnio Guterres, President Biden and other world leaders have condemned these actions.

"The United States condemns Russia's fraudulent attempt today to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory. Russia is violating international law, trampling on the United Nations Charter, and showing its contempt for peaceful nations everywhere," President Biden said in a statement Friday morning, as his administration announced fresh sanctions on Russia for its annexation of the Ukrainian regions.

"The United States will never, never, never recognize Russia's claims on Ukraine sovereign territory," President Biden said Thursday at the U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit in Washington. "This so-called referenda was a sham an absolute sham and the results were manufactured in Moscow." The administration announced fresh sanctions on Russia Friday for its annexation of the Ukrainian regions. Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

"The United States will never, never, never recognize Russia's claims on Ukraine sovereign territory," President Biden said Thursday at the U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit in Washington. "This so-called referenda was a sham an absolute sham and the results were manufactured in Moscow." The administration announced fresh sanctions on Russia Friday for its annexation of the Ukrainian regions.

The sanctions target government officials and leaders, as well as their family members, and officials of the Russian and Belarusian military. As part of the action, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Friday 14 international suppliers for supporting Russia's military supply chains.

"We will hold to account any individual, entity or country that provides political or economic support for Russia's illegal attempts to change the status of Ukrainian territory," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

In this photo released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leads a meeting National Security and Defense Council meeting in Kyiv. He announced that his country is submitting an "accelerated" application to join the NATO military alliance. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP hide caption

In this photo released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leads a meeting National Security and Defense Council meeting in Kyiv. He announced that his country is submitting an "accelerated" application to join the NATO military alliance.

On Friday afternoon, the president told reporters, "America and its allies are not going to be intimidated by Putin and his reckless words and threats."

"He can't seize his neighbors' territory and get away with it," Biden said, noting that the United States would "stay the course" and send more military equipment and resources to Ukraine.

Biden warned the Russian president that "America is fully prepared with our NATO allies to defend every single inch of NATO territory."

In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he was applying for "accelerated" NATO membership for his country.

In this photo released by Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, back center, leads a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council in Kyiv on Friday. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP hide caption

In this photo released by Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, back center, leads a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council in Kyiv on Friday.

"De facto, we have already completed our path to NATO," he said. "De facto, we have already proven interoperability with the alliance's standards, they are real for Ukraine real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interaction. We trust each other, we help each other and we protect each other. This is what the alliance is."

Ukraine has adopted NATO-style conventions within its military, and has grown increasingly dependent on NATO-standard weapons sent by member countries. As he delivered his address, Zelenskyy stood in front of his office in his signature green t-shirt alongside his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and parliament chair Ruslan Stefanchuk. The three signed a declaration for Ukraine's accession into NATO.

"The entire territory of our country will be liberated from this enemy," said Zelenskyy. "Not only Ukraine's enemy, but also an enemy of life itself, humanity, law and truth."

He called for peace negotiations with Russia, but only after Putin is no longer president.

In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized the alliance's "commitment to support Ukraine." He called Putin's recent actions "the most serious escalation since the start of the war."

Regarding Ukraine's potential membership, Stoltenberg told reporters that "NATO's door remains open," but said "a decision about membership has to be taken up by all 30 allies. Of course we take these decisions by consensus. Our focus now is on providing immediate support for Ukraine to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian brutal invasion."

In Washington, President Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters the U.S. continues to believe that NATO should have an open-door policy and said it was up to the 30 allies in NATO to make determinations. But, he added: "Right now, our view is that the best way for us to support Ukraine is through practical, on-the-ground support in Ukraine, and that the process in Brussels should be taken up at a different time."

In this image released by the Ukrainian Police Press Service, the view from a drone shows the site of a Russian rocket attack in Zaporizhzhia on Friday. A Russian strike on the Ukrainian city killed at least 23 people and wounded dozens, an official said Friday, just hours before Moscow planned to annex more of Ukraine in an escalation of the seven-month war. Ukrainian Police Press Office via AP hide caption

In this image released by the Ukrainian Police Press Service, the view from a drone shows the site of a Russian rocket attack in Zaporizhzhia on Friday. A Russian strike on the Ukrainian city killed at least 23 people and wounded dozens, an official said Friday, just hours before Moscow planned to annex more of Ukraine in an escalation of the seven-month war.

At the United Nations, Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning its annexation of Ukrainian territory. The vote was 10-1, and four countries abstained China, India, Brazil and Gabon.

Putin framed the annexation decision as a historical justice following the breakup of the Soviet Union that had left Russian speakers separated from their homeland and the West dictating world affairs according to its own rules.

"The West decides who has a right to self-determination ... who gave them that right?" said Putin.

The Russian leader argued the U.S. was the world's aggressor, leaving a history of destruction and oppression in its wake.

Friday's ceremony echoed Putin's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, following a Kremlin-backed referendum there in 2014 a move that most countries still do not recognize to this day.

Once again, Western powers accused Russia this month of using the guise of staged votes to justify its annexation of Ukraine's territory often at the barrel of a gun.

Indeed, just hours before Friday's ceremony, Putin formally recognized the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as "independent" from Ukraine despite Russian forces controlling only a portion of the territory.

In a reminder of the ongoing fighting, a missile in Zaporizhzhia struck a bus stop and checkpoint, killing 23 and injuring scores. Ukraine blamed the attack on Russia. Moscow's proxies in the area said Ukrainian forces had launched several strikes in the area.

The other two regions Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine's eastern Donbas were recognized as independent by Moscow back in February. At the time, Putin signed a security pact with them, which he then used as justification to send Russian troops into Ukraine days later.

Formal ratification of the territories into the Russian Federation will now move to Russia's parliament and constitutional court whose approval is widely seen as a foregone conclusion.

The Russian government's annexation has unfolded as it works to deploy an additional 300,000 troops to bolster its military campaign amid a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has retaken territory in the south and northeast of Ukraine.

Western officials have pointed to the timing as evidence of Kremlin desperation to solidify Russian gains before their lines collapse further. Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of seeking to mobilize Ukrainians in annexed areas for the military campaign as well.

Meanwhile, Russian officials have openly warned that the newly incorporated territories would be entitled to protections under Russia's nuclear umbrella.

Julian Hayda contributed to this report from Kyiv.

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Putin illegally annexes territories in Ukraine, in spite of global opposition - NPR