Ukraine asks UN to consider situation in Crimea

The Ukrainian parliament Thursday called on the UN to consider without any delay the situation in its crisis-hit southern autonomous republic of Crimea.

Some 250 lawmakers in the Ukrainian 450-seat assembly supported a resolution calling for the UN to examine the growing tensions in the Crimean peninsula in light of an alleged Russian role in the crisis, Xinhua reported.

"The situation in Crimea is deteriorating due to increased movements of the Russian Federation's armed forces and the Black Sea Fleet," the resolution said.

Under Chapter 51 of the UN Charter, Ukraine, as one of the founding members of the UN, has the right to apply to the international community for help to restore its sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability.

Ukraine faced the threat of splitting up after the Crimean parliament adopted a declaration of independence from Ukraine, which would be put to a referendum Sunday.

Kiev described the referendum as "illegal", saying it violated the legal procedures established by the constitution.

Since the outbreak of the Crimea crisis in late February, Kiev had been accusing Moscow of exacerbating the situation by increasing troop movements in Crimea, which is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

The Crimean peninsula was transferred to Ukraine in 1954 as a gift to Kiev by then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to mark the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's merger with the Russian empire.