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Yanukovych blames Maidan leaders, West for Ukraine situation

ROSTOV-ON-DON, February 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Fugitive Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych blamed on Friday the leaders of protests on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square in downtown Kiev, the symbol of Ukrainian protests) and Western countries for the current crisis in his country.

Yanukovych had to flee his official residence and leave Ukraine following riots in his country that resulted in parliament taking over and appointing an interim head of state.

“Now I place the entire responsibility on those who led our country to the crisis, I would say to the chaos and disaster,” he said. “They are to blame for that. Both those who came to power today and those who command them on Maidan, both visibly and invisibly. Including representatives of the West, the United States who patronized Maidan.”

“They bear the responsibility before the Ukrainian people,” he said speaking at a news conference in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

He also blamed the West for non-fulfillment of an agreement between the Ukrainian legitimate authorities and opposition, signed on February 21.

“I see ways to settle the crisis: it’s implementation of the agreement that was signed. And the West should take responsibility for its non-fulfillment,” Yanukovych said.

He also addressed all “participants of lawlessness” saying they should stop until it was too late.

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