Zelensky's first action after Putin's announcement annexed four Ukrainian regions

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, submitted an official request today, Friday, to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

This came a few hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had annexed four Ukrainian territories.

Zielinsky said: "Ukraine worked to strengthen its relations with (NATO) and we started procedures to join the alliance like Sweden and Finland."

He added: "Kiev will not negotiate with Russia as long as Putin is its president."

 Putin announced today, Friday, the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, namely Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zabarogia.

 In a speech delivered in the Kremlin in front of hundreds of senior Russian politicians, Putin said that his country will defend its "new lands" with all the means available to it.