Kiev promises Yanukovych’s safety if he agrees to testify in Ukraine

SOCHI, October 9./TASS/. The Kremlin sees as inappropriate words of US President Barack Obama, who called former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich "a corrupt stooge of Mr. Putin".

"Calling ‘a stooge’ the former president, ousted from power by force as a result of an armed state coup, organized and sponsored from outside, is hardly appropriate," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

In an interview with CBS, President Obama said: "When I came into office Ukraine was governed by a corrupt ruler who was a stooge of Mr. Putin".