Oleksandr Turchynov was designated as acting President of Ukraine following the impeachment of Viktor Yanukovych. On 25 February Turchynov assumed the (Presidential power of) command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Early March 2014 Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, stated he did not regard Turchynov as the legitimate Ukrainian President. On 14 April 2014, while talking on the phone with Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, Turchynov asked for the United Nations's support regarding the crisis in eastern Ukraine, to which the Secretary-General replied that peacekeepers may be sent in should Russia withhold its veto. Meanwhile, Turchynov issued a deadline to the pro-Russian
Mayor of Kiev mayor of Kiev Leonid Chernovetsky of the office of Head of Kiev City Administration, while still preserving the post of mayor. This led to Chernovetsky being deprived of any official decision-making role and most power in the capital was handed over to the Head of Kiev City Administration. At that time that was Oleksandr Popov who was appointed by President Viktor Yanukovych on 16 November 2010. Before these amendments, the elected mayor of the Kiev City Council was automatically appointed also as head of the Kiev City City Administration. Chernovetsky was not seen in Kiev for several months after Popov's