Ukraine crisis: Viktor Yanukovych decries Crimea ‘tragedy’
2 April 2014
Last updated at 16:04
Viktor Yanukovych gave his interview in Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Ukraine’s deposed President Viktor Yanukovych has described Russia’s annexation of Crimea as “a tragedy”.
In an interview with the Associated Press and Russian channel NTV, he said he hoped Crimea would one day become part of Ukraine again.
Mr Yanukovych fled Kyiv in February following months of street protests.
Meanwhile, Nato’s top commander in Europe has said Russian forces could mount an advance into Ukraine within 12 hours of receiving the order.
Moscow is believed to have massed tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine’s eastern border in recent days, causing alarm in Kyiv and the West.
General Philip Breedlove said all the elements were in place for an advance, including armour, mechanised units, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and all the logistics needed to back them up.
Russia annexed Crimea in southern Ukraine last month following a controversial referendum branded illegal by Kyiv and the West. The peninsula has a majority ethnic Russian population.
‘Protest vote’
Mr Yanukovych, now in Russia, said he would try to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to return Crimea to Ukraine.
“Crimea is a tragedy, a major tragedy,” he said.
“We must set such a task and search for ways to return to Crimea on any conditions, so that Crimea may have the maximum degree of independence possible… but be part of Ukraine.”
Mr Yanukovych said had he remained in power, he would have tried to prevent the referendum, calling it a “form of protest” against Ukraine’s new pro-Western leaders.
Mr Yanukovych also said he gave no orders to shoot at anti-government protesters in clashes in the capital Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces have been holding training exercises as tension with Russia mounts
The Crimean port of Sevastopol is home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet
More than 100 people were killed in street protests in Kyiv in February.
He said gunfire came from the opposition camp, not from riot police, and that responsibility for the high number of deaths lay with the opposition.
Unrest in Ukraine began late last year when Mr Yanukovych rejected an association agreement with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia.
The interim government in Kyiv that took power after Mr Yanukovych fled has scheduled a presidential and some mayoral elections for 25 May.
Reports that Moscow has massed troops along the eastern border with Ukraine has sparked fears of further incursions into parts of the country with large Russian-speaking populations.
The Kremlin has said it wants to protect ethnic Russians from “fascists” in Kyiv.
‘Grave threat’
In an interview with Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, Gen Breedlove described the situation on the border as “incredibly concerning”.
“This is a very large and very capable and very ready force,” he said.
“We think it is ready to go and we think it could accomplish its objectives in between three and five days if directed to make the actions.”
Nato foreign ministers have agreed to suspend all practical civilian and military co-operation with Russia.
Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has described Moscow’s annexation of Crimea as the gravest threat to European security for a generation.
Foreign ministers from the 28-member Nato bloc, gathering in Brussels, are also looking at options including putting permanent military bases in the Baltic states to reassure members in Eastern Europe.
Russia’s actions in Ukraine have caused concern in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were part of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.