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Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked parliament for permission to use the country's military in Ukraine, the Kremlin said today.
Putin said the move is needed to protect ethnic Russians and the personnel of a Russian military base in Ukraine's strategic region of Crimea.
"I'm submitting a request for using the armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine pending the normalisation of the socio-political situation in that country," Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin.
He sent the request to the Russian legislature's upper house, which has to approve the motion, according to the constitution.
