ROSTOV ON DON, May 12. /ITAR-TASS/. The absolute majority of residents in the main Ukrainian coalmining region Donbas went to vote at referendums on self-determination of two Ukrainian regions, because patience of Ukrainian people has already snapped, legitimate Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said in a statement transmitted to ITAR-TASS on Monday.
“Today each of us is overfilled with thoughts and feelings about what is happening to our homeland,” he noted, adding that “If someone said to me four months ago that Ukraine would lose Crimea and people would be killed brutally and burnt alive in our “pearl at the Black Sea” and this would become a new Khatyn (a Nazi massacre at the Belarusian village of Khatyn on March 22, 1943) and Ukrainian army would begin combat actions against their own people in Donbas with use of helicopters, missile launch systems, grenade launchers, mortars, armored personnel carriers and would begin killings of civilians discontent with illegal authorities I would not believe in this.
“A reasonable man could hardly have made up his mind to do so.”
“As a result of an unprecedented armed coup, illegal seizure of power we have lost what we have been collecting daily step by step to build up Ukraine’s unity. Today hatred, fear, despair, outbursts of vengeance, blatant banditry and fascism reign all around now,” Yanukovych noted, adding that I will not agree with those who believe that the issue of fascism is whipped up in Ukraine.
“There is an impression that present-day Ukraine started looking like Germany of Hitler’s rule times. Then Hitler named dissented intelligentsia, Jews, Gypsies and others as enemies. Then dissenters were prosecuted in Germany and now whole cities are in blockade in Ukraine now, just because people protect their point of view that differs from that of the ruling regime!” the legitimate Ukrainian president said.
“Lawmakers and representatives of self-appointed authorities use such cynical rhetoric now to instigate hatred and a fratricidal war,” Yanukovych said, noting that “The blood is already shed in the streets of Kharkiv, Donbas. Units of mercenaries jointly with the so-called ‘national guard’ came on the soil of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. All law-abiding Europe suddenly forgot about UN General Assembly Resolution 43/44 of December 4, 1989 over the fight against recruitment, use, funding and training of mercenaries. And Kolomoisky, Parubiy, Avakov and Nalivaichenko are forming endlessly and are training units for killings of their own citizens.”
“Why did the absolute majority of people living in Donbas come for a referendum and cast their votes for any type of statehood, just not for the situation when it is possible to name their own citizens as terrorists without punishment and begin to kill them unlawfully?” Yanukovych stated, adding that “Because patience of Ukrainian people has already snapped.”
“I can admit some of my strategic mistakes now, but up to my deep conviction neither power, nor career nor a financial success cost a human life,” Yanukovych noted, adding that “A bloody junta has already killed more than 300 civilians. I appeal to you to stop. The whole world saw how many people came for the referendum! And you can ignore its results, but neither you nor Europe nor other countries can acknowledge that there are no terrorists and you are waging a war against your own people!”
Yanukovych also demanded “withdraw immediately mercenaries and troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Odessa and other regions, stop violence and terror against your own people.” “People see every day what you are doing with the country. You have already passed the point of no return,” he added.