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| Putin seeks Ukraine troop deployment | Putin seeks Ukraine troop deployment |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Russia's President Vladimir Putin has asked his upper house of parliament to approve the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine, the Kremlin says. | |
| It follows discussions by the lower and upper house on ways to "stabilise" the situation in Ukraine's Crimea region, where many ethnic Russians live. | |
| Earlier, the Ukrainian defence minister said Moscow had already deployed some 6,000 extra troops to Crimea. | Earlier, the Ukrainian defence minister said Moscow had already deployed some 6,000 extra troops to Crimea. |
| Kiev has accused Moscow of deliberately trying to provoke a confrontation. | Kiev has accused Moscow of deliberately trying to provoke a confrontation. |
| President Putin submitted the request "in connection with the extraordinary situation in Ukraine and the threat to the lives of Russian citizens", the Kremlin said. | President Putin submitted the request "in connection with the extraordinary situation in Ukraine and the threat to the lives of Russian citizens", the Kremlin said. |
| He asked the upper house - which constitutionally must approve such a motion - for Russian armed forces to be used "until the normalisation of the political situation in that country". | |
| Crimea is largely Russian-speaking and is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet. | |
| Earlier, the newly-elected pro-Moscow leader of Crimea appealed to Mr Putin for help to ensure peace on the peninsula - a request that would "not leave unnoticed" the Kremlin said at the time. | |
| It follows days of military activity in Crimea during which unidentified, but believed to be pro-Russian, armed men moved in to take over the regional parliament, state television and telecommunications hubs. | |
| Witnesses also spoke of seeing a build up of Russian armoured vehicles and troops in the area. |