Yanukovych says Crimea standoff natural reaction to takeover
Ukraine’s fugitive president Viktor Yanukovych gives a news conference in Rostov-on-Don, a city in southern Russia about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Moscow, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014. Ukrainian fugitive president appears for first time since Saturday at Russia news conference. AP
ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia—Deposed Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych on Friday said that the standoff in Crimea was a “natural reaction” to the “bandit-like” takeover of power by the new authorities in Ukraine.
Speaking at a news conference in Russia, he said he still saw himself as the Ukrainian president and as such believed that Crimea must remain part of Ukraine.
RELATED STORIES
Yanukovych insists ‘not overthrown,’ will fight on
Yanukovych says power seized by ‘neo-fascists,’ blames West
