Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly is expected to deliver remarks alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the importance of collaborating in order to pursue accountability from Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a ceremony to annex four Ukrainian regions partly occupied by his forces, escalating the seventh-month war and taking it into an unpredictable new phase.

The ceremony took place three days after the completion of hastily staged referendums in which Moscow's proxies in the occupied regions claimed majorities of up to 99 per cent in favour of joining Russia.

Ukraine and Western governments, including Canada, have described those votes as bogus, illegitimate and conducted at gunpoint.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/9167280/vladimir-putin-annexation-ukraine-russia/
Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc
Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ
Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt
Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB
#GlobalNews #russiaukrainewar #politics