Russia says Yanukovych asked for Russian troops
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia's U.N. ambassador says Ukraine's fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych asked President Vladimir Putin to use Russia's armed forces "to establish legitimacy, peace, law and order, stability and defending the people of Ukraine."
Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the U.N. Security Council Monday he was authorized to read a statement from Yanukovych — and show members a copy — which says that "as the legitimately elected representative" Yanukovych believes "Ukraine is on the brink of civil war."
Russia has effectively seized Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.
Yanukovych fled to Russia and had said he would not ask for Russian forces. Churkin quoted Yanukovych as saying: "the life and security and the rights of people particularly in the southeast part in Crimea are being threatened" and there were: "open acts of terror and violence."
