Russia: Yanukovych Requested Our Troops

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly I. Churkin, before addressing the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Ukraine. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Russia claims it was the ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych who had in fact requested it to send troops to the Crimea region.

During the Security Council meeting, Moscow's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin displayed a letter allegedly written by Yanukovych requesting troops for the protection of Russian citizens in Crimea, the BBC revealed.

"I would call on the president of Russia, Mr Putin, asking him to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to establish legitimacy, peace, law and order, stability and defending the people of Ukraine", the letter was quoted.

Western governments have dismissed Russia's arguments as groundless and are now considering sanctions against the Kremlin.

"We are examining a whole series of steps: economic, diplomatic that would isolate Russia and would have a negative impact on Russia's economy ans status in the world", US President Barack Obama said on Monday.

The EU is also mulling sanctions, which may include travel bans and freezing assets of Russian authorities.

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