KYIV, Feb 14 – Ukraine’s disgraced former President Viktor Yanukovych received $1 billion in kickbacks from Russia after arranging $3 billion Eurobond deal with Moscow in December 2013, Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian lawmaker, said Wednesday.

The deal was effectively negotiated by Yanukovych’s eldest son, Oleksandr, who ran family business ventures, he said.

The kickbacks were supposed to pay Yanukovych for his pulling Ukraine away from closer integration with the European Union and towards closer ties with Russia.