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WASHINGTON — Ukraine’s ousted president is urging Ukraine to hold local referendums across the nation less than two weeks after Russia formally annexed Crimea after a widely condemned vote.

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Viktor Yanukovych, who’s living in exile in Russia, issued a statement Friday calling for each of Ukraine’s regions to hold votes on their status “within Ukraine.”

“I don’t see how any high-ranking European officials can say that it is normal to have these [pro-Western] activists shooting people and robbing on the streets,” Yanukovych said.

“Only a referendum on the whole of Ukraine in every region can stabilize the political situation, and preserve its independence and unity.”

When Crimea took up a similar call on March 16, 95.7% of the votes favoured splitting from Ukraine and joining Russia. The number was suspiciously high, given the percentage of the population made up of Tatars — a group that faced oppression under Soviet rule — and ethnic Ukrainians.