Reports claim Putin is planning to proclaim Victor Yanukovych as Ukraine's next president even as President Zelensky has vowed to keep fighting against Russia.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: 
 
Russia has brought former Ukrainian President Yanukovych to Minsk. 
 
Putin is preparing to proclaim him the new President of Ukraine. 
 
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ukrpravda_news?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ukrpravda_news</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zpmf87eIEs">pic.twitter.com/Zpmf87eIEs</a>
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) <a href="https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498959815703506944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Who is Viktor Yanukovych?

Former President Viktor Yanukovych had come to power in 2010 but was overthrown after violent protests hit the country in 2014. The demonstrations against the former president erupted after he refused to sign a trade deal with European Union (EU) as he sought closer ties with Russia.&nbsp;

Yanukovych was backed by Putin's regime as it tried to put him back in power but it failed as he fled east from Kyiv to Kharkiv before travelling to Russia.

He was also the prime minister of the country from 2006 to 2007 and for a brief period before 2005. He was also the governor of Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine from 1997 to 2002.&nbsp;

He ran for president for the first time in 2004 in controversial elections amid fraud allegations. The election&nbsp;led to the Orange revolution as the Ukraine Supreme Court moved to nullify&nbsp;the results and ordered fresh polls. Yanukovych lost the polls to Yushchenko in the second election.&nbsp;

What was the "Euromaidan" linked to Yanukovych?

The protests began in November 2013 in Independence Square in Kyiv as Yanukovych refused to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement even as the demonstrators demanded the resignation of Yanukovych.&nbsp;

The protesters violently clashed with police in Ukraine with the main demonstration taking place at Maidan (central square) in Kyiv. The protests began with the Twitter hashtag "Euromaidan", the protests mainly took place in a Maidan Nezalezhnosti in central Kyiv which became the rallying point for anti-Yanukovych protests.

The protesters finally had their way as Yanukovych fled the country and the demonstrators took control of the presidential administration and his private estate.

Who was Yanukovych's successor?

Yanukovych left the country as Oleksandr Turchynov came to power followed by Petro Poroshenko.

However, Zelensky who was a popular TV star and comedian at the time stormed to power winning the elections in 2019. However, his anti-Russia stance did not go down well with Putin as he began pushing for NATO membership.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Reports claim Putin is planning to proclaim Victor Yanukovych as Ukraine's next president even as President Zelensky has vowed to keep fighting against Russia. BREAKING: Russia has brought former Ukrainian President Yanukovych to Minsk.

Reports claim Putin is planning to proclaim Victor Yanukovych as Ukraine's next president even as President Zelensky has vowed to keep fighting against Russia. BREAKING: Russia has brought former Ukrainian President Yanukovych to Minsk. Putin is preparing to proclaim him the new President of Ukraine. Source: @ukrpravda_news pic.twitter.com/Zpmf87eIEs — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 2, 2022 × Who is Viktor Yanukovych? Former President Viktor Yanukovych had come to power in 2010 but was overthrown after violent protests hit the country in 2014. The demonstrations against the former president erupted after he refused to sign a trade deal with European Union (EU) as he sought closer ties with Russia. Yanukovych was backed by Putin's regime as it tried to put him back in power but it failed as he fled east from Kyiv to Kharkiv before travelling to Russia. He was also the prime minister of the country from 2006 to 2007 and for a brief period before 2005. He was also the governor of Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine from 1997 to 2002. He ran for president for the first time in 2004 in controversial elections amid fraud allegations. The election led to the Orange revolution as the Ukraine Supreme Court moved to nullify the results and ordered fresh polls. Yanukovych lost the polls to Yushchenko in the second election. What was the "Euromaidan" linked to Yanukovych? The protests began in November 2013 in Independence Square in Kyiv as Yanukovych refused to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement even as the demonstrators demanded the resignation of Yanukovych. The protesters violently clashed with police in Ukraine with the main demonstration taking place at Maidan (central square) in Kyiv. The protests began with the Twitter hashtag "Euromaidan", the protests mainly took place in a Maidan Nezalezhnosti in central Kyiv which became the rallying point for anti-Yanukovych protests. The protesters finally had their way as Yanukovych fled the country and the demonstrators took control of the presidential administration and his private estate. Who was Yanukovych's successor? Yanukovych left the country as Oleksandr Turchynov came to power followed by Petro Poroshenko. However, Zelensky who was a popular TV star and comedian at the time stormed to power winning the elections in 2019. However, his anti-Russia stance did not go down well with Putin as he began pushing for NATO membership. (With inputs from Agencies)

Putin's pick for next Ukraine president: Who is ​​​​​​​Viktor Yanukovych?

A US envoy for Ukraine on Saturday accused Russia of seeking to remove Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko from power in the March polls, in the hope of working out a favourable deal with a different government.

"What they are trying to do is attack Poroshenko and weaken Poroshenko," Special Representative Kurt Volker told AFP on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich when asked whether Moscow supports a specific candidate in the presidential election on March 31.

"They very much want to see him removed from power and I think they are hoping that they will be able to cut some kind of deal that favours Russia with a new government because they are not getting that from Poroshenko," he said.&nbsp;

Poroshenko, who was elected following the ousting of Russia-backed Viktor Yanukovych in the wake of bloody protests in Kiev, is running an uphill battle for re-election.

Other top contenders include former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, who once played the role of president in a Ukrainian TV series.

After the 2014 uprising, Moscow annexed Crimea and supported Russian-speaking separatists in the industrial east, in a conflict that according to the United Nations had killed some 13,000 people as of the end of last year.

Poroshenko's low popularity ratings received a boost after he oversaw the creation of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church independent of Moscow.

His standing also increased after Russia seized three of Kiev's navy vessels and two dozen sailors as they tried to pass from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov in November.

A US envoy for Ukraine on Saturday accused Russia of seeking to remove Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko from power in the March polls, in the hope of working out a favourable deal with a different government.

A US envoy for Ukraine on Saturday accused Russia of seeking to remove Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko from power in the March polls, in the hope of working out a favourable deal with a different government. "What they are trying to do is attack Poroshenko and weaken Poroshenko," Special Representative Kurt Volker told AFP on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich when asked whether Moscow supports a specific candidate in the presidential election on March 31. "They very much want to see him removed from power and I think they are hoping that they will be able to cut some kind of deal that favours Russia with a new government because they are not getting that from Poroshenko," he said. Poroshenko, who was elected following the ousting of Russia-backed Viktor Yanukovych in the wake of bloody protests in Kiev, is running an uphill battle for re-election. Other top contenders include former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, who once played the role of president in a Ukrainian TV series. After the 2014 uprising, Moscow annexed Crimea and supported Russian-speaking separatists in the industrial east, in a conflict that according to the United Nations had killed some 13,000 people as of the end of last year. Poroshenko's low popularity ratings received a boost after he oversaw the creation of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church independent of Moscow. His standing also increased after Russia seized three of Kiev's navy vessels and two dozen sailors as they tried to pass from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov in November.

Moscow wants Ukraine's leader 'removed from power': US diplomat