Overthrown Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych says it was 'wrong' to call for Russian troops in Crimea
Overthrown president concedes calling for Russian troops on the peninsula was 'wrong'
Defensive and at times tearful, Ukraine's ousted president conceded that he made a mistake when he invited Russian troops into Crimea, and vowed to try to negotiate with Vladimir Putin to recover the Black Sea peninsula.
"Crimea is a tragedy, a major tragedy," Viktor Yanukovych said on Wednesday in his first interview since fleeing to Russia in February following months-long protests focused on corruption and his decision to seek closer ties with Russia instead of the European Union.
Meanwhile Ukraine's Western-backed leaders accused Yanukovych and Russian agents of organising two days of bloodshed in February that left nearly 90 dead. Acting interior minister Arsen Avakov said Yanukovych had issued the "criminal order" to fire at the protesters while agents from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) helped him plan and carry out the assault.
An FSB spokesman quickly rejected the allegation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for his part said "huge amounts of evidence" contradicted Kiev's accusations.
Putin said last month that Yanukovych had asked Russia to send its troops to Crimea to protect its people - a request seen as treason by many Ukrainians.
Russian troops quickly overran Crimea, which has an ethnic Russian majority, on the pretext of protecting Russians.
Yanukovych admitted he made a mistake. "I was wrong," he told Russia's state NTV television . "I acted on my emotions."
