Originally Posted by Emma

Moscow's ambassador to the United Nations told an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Thursday that Russia does not want to go to war over the Ukraine crisis. "Russia does not want war and nor do the Russians," Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the Council following an address by visiting Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia was not to blame for the crisis over Ukraine's Crimea region.

Crimea is to hold a referendum on Sunday on joining Russia, but Ukraine and Western leaders strongly oppose submitting the question to the people's will and claim the planned referendum is illegal.