RIA Novosti: Ousted Ukrainian leader wants political comeback – interview to Russian media

(RIA Novosti – December 8, 2015)

Deposed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has expressed his wish to return to politics. He said this in an interview with RIA Novosti (part of the state-owned International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya), excerpts from which were published on 8 December.

“I want to return to politics. Today… [ellipsis as received] I do everything in my power. Firstly, I provide a great deal of help to those who are being persecuted in Ukraine, who have, let’s say, already left Ukraine. And not only for Russia. It goes without saying that in Russia I stay in touch with them. I help as much as I can,” Yanukovich was quoted as saying.

Yanukovich added that he maintained contact with incumbent Ukrainian politicians. “Today many of them are not so shy and not so afraid as [they] used to be, to put it tentatively, a year ago. They feel comfortable when we meet up and discuss issues,” he said.

Yanukovich was ousted in February 2014 following protests in Kiev in favour of Ukraine’s stronger integration with the European Union.

A full interview will be published on 9-10 December on RIA’s website, the agency says.