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| Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych defiant amid turmoil | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has insisted that he and his government have "fulfilled all the obligations" to solve the crisis in the country. | Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has insisted that he and his government have "fulfilled all the obligations" to solve the crisis in the country. |
| But the political opposition continued to "whip up" the situation, he added. | But the political opposition continued to "whip up" the situation, he added. |
| The defiant statement was issued on the presidential website (Ukrainian) after weeks of often-violent anti-government protests in Kiev and other cities led to a series of government concessions. | |
| It followed an announcement that Mr Yanukovych, 63, was on sick leave. | |
| The presidential website said he had a respiratory illness and a high fever. | |
| The protests began in November after President Yanukovych reversed a decision to sign an trade deal with the European Union, instead favouring a $15bn (£9.2bn; 10.9bn euros) bailout deal with Russia. | |
| Anti-government protesters are still occupying government buildings and manning barricades in freezing temperatures in the centre of the capital Kiev. | |
| The past week has seen President Yanukovych accept the resignation of the prime minister and his cabinet, and offer senior jobs to the opposition - offers that were rejected. | |
| And the country's parliament has voted to annul a recently enacted law restricting protests, which appeared to be inflaming the situation, and pass an amnesty law for detained protesters under the condition that occupied buildings were vacated. | |
| "We have fulfilled all the obligations which the authorities took on themselves," President Yanukovych said in the statement. | |
| "However, the opposition continues to whip up the situation calling on people to stand in the cold for the sake of the political ambitions of a few leaders. I think this is wrong." | "However, the opposition continues to whip up the situation calling on people to stand in the cold for the sake of the political ambitions of a few leaders. I think this is wrong." |