Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich – who either was ousted, had deserted, or is a fugitive, depending on the point of view – is formally asking Russia to use military force in his country.  Russian officials were more than happy to display that request before the world.

“People are being persecuted for language and political reasons,” said Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin, holding and quoting from Yanukovich’s letter.  “So in this regard 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.”

Russian forces over the weekend took control of the Crimean peninsula without firing a shot.  Pro-Russian demonstrations are going on in several other cities in Ukraine’s east, and many are flying Russian flags over government buildings, signaling allegiance to Moscow and not to Kiev.