You're reading: President says he wants Ukraine to be strong and united

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said he wants Ukraine to be strong and united.

"Our large Ukrainian family will be strong when there are no hetmans, such as seen in the history of Ukraine, who provoked conflict and fought against each other, and those who wanted to use our quarrels did so for their own interests. Thing should not be like that," he said during a Conversation with the People television project on Friday.

According to the president, he wants to do everything possible "to unite us through common interests, because only then we will be strong and respected."