STRASBOURG, France (AP) -- In a major turnabout in Ukrainian policy, new President Viktor Yanukovych says the 1930s Stalinist famine that killed millions should not be considered genocide against Ukrainians because it targeted its victims indiscriminately.

Yanukovych told the Council of Europe on Tuesday that he considered the famine "a shared tragedy" of all people who were all part of the Soviet Union, then led by Joseph Stalin.

Yanukovych's stance is a complete shift from that of his predecessor, pro-Western president Viktor Yushchenko, who sought to have the famine recognized as genocide against Ukrainians.

Since being elected in February, Yanukovych has sought closer ties with Russia.
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