Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host a ceremony at the Kremlin on Friday to annex four occupied regions of Ukraine, a day after recognising the independence of two of them, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. UN chief Antonio Guterres has described the planned annexations as a “dangerous escalation” that will jeopardise prospects for peace. Read our live blog for updates and analysis. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
<!-- wp:html --><p>Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host a ceremony at the Kremlin on Friday to annex four occupied regions of Ukraine, a day after recognising the independence of two of them, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. UN chief Antonio Guterres has described the planned annexations as a "dangerous escalation" that will jeopardise prospects for peace. Read our live blog for updates and analysis. All times are Paris time (GMT+2). </p><!-- /wp:html -->