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.
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