European Greens and Ukrainian Greens: Politically-motivated ruling a blow for EU-Ukraine rapprochement

Commenting on the ruling against former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko,

Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms and Green MEP Werner Schulz said:

"This politically-motivated ruling is a backwards step for the rule of law in the Ukraine and a blow to EU-Ukraine rapprochement. Nobody should be under any illusions that this court case was designed to scupper the prospects of the political opposition in the Ukraine ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. Even if the ruling is subsequently overturned, this episode has damaged the credibility of the Ukrainian government.

While the Greens are in favour of concluding an EU-Ukraine association agreement, guaranteeing the rule of law and making democratic progress is a  recondition for this. Today's ruling is clearly a blow to this end."



Pavlo Khazan, vice chair of the Green Party of Ukraine commenting of the courts decision said:

"The courts decision was made despite the enormous pressure by European politicians put on Ukrainian government, parliament and the president. It was clear that a prison sentence for former prime-minister would give them big troubles to Ukraine’s aspirations to get closer to the EU, in particular to sign a free-trade and association agreement with the EU later this year.

Unfortunately we see that the Ukrainian president, government and the Parliament are ruled by the Party of Regions with the majority in legislative and executive bodies and courts. They cannot give guarantee to Ukrainians of defence their constitutional rights. That is why the state politics depends on personal ambitions of Ukrainian oligarchs and politicians more and more and becomes no longer constitutional."