The White House will announce new sanctions on Russia on Friday over its annexation of four breakaway regions in Ukraine.

The additional sanctions were confirmed by a White House official, NBC News reported.

Earlier on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that leaders of the four regions had signed agreements in Moscow to become part of Russia.

"In the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk and in the regions of Lugansk and Donetsk there were referendums. Their results are known and show an unequivocal choice. Today we sign the agreement to accept them into the Russian Federation. This is the wish of more than a million people. This is their right that cannot be taken away, written in the UN constitution,” Putin said during a Kremlin speech.... Read More: Arutz-7