I'll bet Putin pulls away from "annexed" territory and, when Ukraine strikes at them, claims Ukraine is proving to be the aggressors. I'll even say that Vlad's nuclear warning was about NATO supporting Ukraine if they strike at these territories. I just felt that nuclear clock make another tick.
Russia retreated and pulled out of Lyman while Putin was "annexing" Donetsk Region to be Russia. Lyman is a city in Donetsk. What a liar and a coward he is!
I think he's going to declare victory in liberating Russian people from Ukraine and start pulling out entirely. If Ukraine attacks "his territory" then he'll yell that they're declaring war. We'll see if I'm wrong.
@barjoe Putin isn't acting for his constituency, I think. He's acting for historic legacy (ego) and demonstrating superiority. The U.N. is scoffed at by the world, until they say things we like to hear, so their Legal Rulings don't mean much. If America (therefore NATO) give up and stop the aid then Putin feels puffed up and victorious. If they don't then he gets to claim being a victim of hate while his position over Ukraine gets carried on because discarding it becomes difficult.