Former German Chancellor Merkel: “European security architecture should include Russia”
The German politician provoked strong reactions from Ukrainian politicians for her stance
Russia to formally annex Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in ceremony
The west does not recognise the referenda
US spy planes appear to be monitoring a Russian enclave in Europe, possibly looking for signs of nuclear weapons activity
Kaliningrad is a Russian territory on the Baltic sea, separated from mainland Russia by Lithuania