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The Facts
In a video address on Friday, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine's submission of an "accelerated" application to join the NATO military alliance.
The announcement comes on the same day that Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin held a ceremony where he proclaimed that Moscow has formally annexed the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
The Spin
Pro-Russia narrative
Zelenskyy's announcement is nothing more than a provocation that won't bring anything to fruition. Due to the current situation, NATO's members will be hesitant to accept the bid, as it would result in a direct conflict between the alliance and Russia. This wasted retaliation in response to the reunification of Russian territories is likely to fall on deaf ears.
Anti-Russia narrative
Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine is the very thing that's pushing Kyiv straight into NATO's arms. While it remains to be seen whether all 30 members will welcome Ukraine, Zelenskyy's fast-track application takes a strong stance against Putin's illegitimate referenda and exposes that Putin is failing in one of his primary goals.