- Putin on Friday declared four regions of Ukraine part of Russia, a move rejected by the West.Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier on Friday signed decrees claiming four regions in Ukraine were now part of Russia, a move that was widely rejected by the West as an illegal annexation.But the UN vote came only weeks after Putin acknowledged his counterparts in both countries expressed concerns about the war.One expert previously told Insider that pressure from Xi and Modi — and a fear of losing them as partners — may have partly motivated Putin's recent escalation of the war by mobilizing troops and threatening nuclear action."The evidence of criticism of allies like China or neutral states like India clearly put more pressure on him," Robert English, a professor at the University of Southern California who studies Russia, the Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe, told Insider."