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They even proclaimed a lot of territory they don’t hold as their own, including the entire Donetsk oblast, so it’s “defending” by trying to grab and hold more land.

It is not much of a trick of modern annexation, just a lie to feed their own population in order to legitimize jailing of people against the war.

Do I understand it correctly, that the argument is that "it's a defensive war", because Putin in effect "called dibs, so it's ours, and we are defending it"?

So, more on how it is sold to the Russian people, rather, than there being anything technically correct about it, right? Because if it's the latter, then I suppose the closes would be "internationally accepted". And, none of the currently occupied regions, including Crimea, is recognized as such.