Arseny Yatsenyuk, a member of Ukraine's interim leadership, said Thursday that the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych was legal.

"He is no longer the president; he is a wanted person who is suspected of mass murder, a crime against humanity," Yatsenyuk told reporters.

Yatsenyuk made this remark shortly after Yanukovych issued a statement to say that he was considering himself as the legitimate head of state.

In his statement, Yanukovych said the decisions of the Ukrainian parliament were unlawful, as the bills were approved in the absence of many lawmakers, who "were subjected to physical violence and forced to leave the territory of Ukraine illegally."

On Saturday, the Ukrainian parliament passed a resolution to dismiss Yanukovych from his post, declaring him constitutionally unable to carry out his duties.

On Monday, Ukraine's interim government issued an arrest warrant for Yanukovych on charges relating to the deaths of protesters in a week of bloodshed in Kiev.