Ukraine's Yanukovych 'Intent' on Retaining Power

Ukraine's embattled President Viktor Yanukovych is determined to hold on to power and will likely use force or illegal steps to counter popular protests, the U.S. intelligence chief said Wednesday.

"Firmly intent on maintaining his hold on power, Yanukovych will probably resort to coercion, extralegal means, and other tactics to tilt the playing field in his favor and ensure his reelection, threatening a further erosion of democratic norms," National Intelligence Director James Clapper said in a written statement to senators.

A Russian aid package signed in December will prevent a financial crisis in the "short term" but will increase Kiev's dependence on Moscow and leave it vulnerable to Russian pressure, said Clapper, delivering an annual assessment of global threats by the country's 16 spy agencies.

His comments came amid weeks of turmoil in Ukraine with the country's parliament debating whether to grant amnesty to detained demonstrators after scrapping anti-protest laws.

Former president Leonid Kravchuk warned parliament that the country was "on the brink of civil war."

The United States has voiced support for the protesters while Russian President Vladimir Putin has blasted what he calls "foreign interference" in Ukraine's affairs.