Viktor Yanukovich said he wanted Ukraine to join the EU, but knew that membership in the military bloc would be "a disaster"

Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has said he had always been a staunch opponent of Ukraine joining NATO, warning that such a move would have sparked a civil war.

Yanukovich served as president from 2010 to 2014, when he was ousted in the Western-backed Maidan coup and forced to flee the country, seeking refuge in Russia. Shortly afterward, the Ukrainian parliament formally stripped him of his presidential title.

The protests began after Yanukovich decided to suspend preparations for Ukraine's signing of an association agreement with the EU, explaining that the deal would have imposed harsh economic conditions and included terms he deemed unacceptable.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Yanukovich said he had always worked toward EU accession, which he described as a strategic goal of his presidency.

"Indeed, I purposefully worked to bring Ukraine closer to the European Union and ultimately set the goal of Ukraine's accession," he said. However, in his words, Kiev's Western European partners behaved condescendingly during the talks. "They showed no understanding of the complexity of Ukraine's economic situation. Frankly, they displayed arrogance," he added.

Yanukovich stressed that while he had been firmly committed to pursuing Ukraine's EU integration, he had always rejected NATO membership. He said he had "clearly and distinctly understood that this is a disaster for Ukraine" and a "road to nowhere." 

"It is a direct path to civil war," he emphasized.

After Yanukovich's ouster, which Moscow condemned as illegal, the new authorities in Kiev began openly working toward NATO membership, an ambition that was encouraged by the US.

Russia has said these moves were among the root causes of the current conflict and has demanded that Ukraine remain neutral and refrain from joining military blocs as a part of any peace settlement.