Amid Ukraine's invasion, Putin prepares to declare himself a conqueror

More than three months into the so-called "special military operation," the Kremlin has made no official announcement about how it sees the future of the territories it has grabbed

In the early hours of June 12, celebrated in Vladimir Putin’s country as Russia Day, a curious piece appeared on the website of the pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia. Signed ostensibly by Putin’s First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergei Kiriyenko, it promised the residents of the occupied territories of Ukraine that these regions would be absorbed into Russia.
 

It also contained this provocative passage:

“All of Russia will be working to rebuild a Donbass ruined by fascists. Yes, this will cost several trillion rubles. But that money will be allocated from the Russian budget — even at the price of a temporary