Viktor Yanukovych Quotes

You need to understand who benefited from the Euromaidan events, I had no advantage of that.
It was a planned provocation in order to radicalize peaceful demonstrations. I had no evidence that it was organized by then chief of staff Serhiy Lyovochkin. But these suspicions have good grounds.
Do you remember those two young men who were supposedly killed on Hrushevskoho Street? According to preliminary investigations, we had evidence that they had been killed in a different place. Their lives have been sacrificed to the coup technologies.
As of February 20, some 20 police officers were killed and at least 130 were hospitalized with gunshot wounds – but there were almost no mentions in media about it. And they were standing there under fire and Molotov cocktails not for Yanukovych, but rather for Ukraine and the rule of law.
During the tragic events of EuroMaidan Revolution, as a legitimate president I had all the grounds to use the force, I didn’t do that.
It is important that each side could influence the process. And the dialogue should lead to the elimination of economic problems and the resumption of economic relations in Ukraine,” Yanukovych was quoted as saying. It is especially important for Donbas people, who suffer from hunger, as well as for the entire country, which is on a brink of economic collapse.

My principles which I always follow are that no authority, no power is worth a drop of blood.

We must search for ways ... so that Crimea may have the maximum degree of independence possible ... but be part of Ukraine.

I would like to say that I am alive, although I cannot say that I feel very well, because I feel a deep and profound concern over what is happening in Ukraine now. Disguised behind a veneer of an allegedly legitimate government, there is a gang of ultranationalists and fascists now acting in Ukraine involving people who are now aspiring to presidential office.
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I would like to remind you that I am not only the -- not only the legitimate president of Ukraine, but I’m also the chief of staff, the commander of the army.
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The United States and a number of other countries have been stressing that I have allegedly lost my legitimacy because I fled the country. Let me say again: I never fled anywhere.
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I would like you to warn that the economic situation in Ukraine is going to degenerate, and those who usurp the power are going to shift the blame for this economic crisis on my shoulders, and perhaps even on Russia. ..
And I would like to say: Glory to Ukraine, and I hope everything will be fine in my country.

I would call on the president of Russia, Mr Putin, asking him to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to establish legitimacy, peace, law and order, stability and defending the people of Ukraine.

The country has plunged into chaos and anarchy.
The country is in the grip of outright terror and violence driven by the West.
People are persecuted on political and language grounds.
In this context, I appeal to the President of Russia Vladimir V. Putin to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to re-establish the rule of law, peace, order, stability and to protect the people of Ukraine.

I am accused of doing something wrong. Tell me please, what good is an agreement [with the European Union] when they take us and force it upon us?

[Dear] participants of the press conference! Since I have that occasion, I would like to remind [everyone] that this year, Ukraine will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the baptism of the [Kievan] Rus' <small>Note. The baptism happened in 988.</small>

We support the complex approach that has been initiated in connection with sustainable energy for all, sustainable consumption and production, the elimination of hunger, and ensuring urban infrastructure development.

I was in the opposition twice. I was in power twice before this, and this is my third time. Before this I was Prime Minister twice, and now I am President. The political process is constant, and our goal is for it to move forward under civilized rules, under the laws and for there to be no chance for politicians to abuse their power.
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But in our situation, we do not have the goal of locking up our political opponents. I can prove this, with facts. Let the opposition say the opposite. But watch the television, and you will see that the ruling government does not appear there at all. The opposition takes up 99% [of airtime]. They behave in a radical way, and nobody locks them up.
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I’m sure that the number of friends we have is only growing. We are open. We are not fooling anyone. We are pursuing a stable policy … We passed the tax code, the pension reform, the budget code, the customs code, now the criminal code. No one could do that in 20 years. People close their eyes and pretend not to see these things. Well, so be it. We’ll do it just for ourselves … If Europe has decided to take a pause, then so be it. It’ll probably work out for the best both for us and for Europe. If Europe does not see us as part of Europe, we will build Europe here in Ukraine.

We are going to strive to the restriction of political dialogue (pause) erm, to the maintenance!

<small>(Speaking of an upcoming soccer match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Chelsea)</small> This will be a match between Ukraine and Russia. I hope that Shakhtar wins and that the mood will help to fight.

We are regularly receiving reports from the governors... in Kyiv, but when you see [them] with your hands, as they say, [when you] touch [them] with your eyes, as the old Ukrainian tradition goes, this is a totally different matter.

Yesterday we had a photography procedure with President Obama, and during that short visit [there was] a short exchange of information, [and] President Obama asked me about the progress of the delivery of equipment to the labs that we are building in Kharkiv [and] which are going to work on low-enriched Iran. I said that the equipment was arriving on schedule.

One theory of researchers says that in ancient Smyrna, today's İzmir, Homer was creating his Illad [sic] and Odyssey. Troy, eternified by the blind poet, is located in Turkey. Legendary Heracles has set foot on the territory of today's Ukraine.