You're reading: Fuele: EU still insisting on Tymoshenko’s release

European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule has said that the EU will continue to insist on the release of Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and plans to step up its role in resolving the escalating political crisis in Ukraine, according to Tymoshenko's Web site.

“We continue to raise the issue of freeing Yulia Tymoshenko at every meeting and consider it a litmus test for the commitment to democracy and a symbol of the absence of rule of law in Ukraine,” Fule said during his meeting in Munich with Yulia Tymoshenko’s daughter, Yevhenia, and deputy head of the Batkivschyna Party and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada European integration committee Hryhoriy Nemyria.

The European commissioner explained the EU’s position on Ukraine taking into account the recent escalation of conflict and emphasized the need for those responsible to be held to account.

“This issue is being discussed in EU institutions and EU member-states. The EU plans to intensify its role in resolving the growing political crisis in Ukraine,” Fule said.

He said the EU was actively discussing and coordinating its action with the U.S. He also said he will be discussing the situation in Ukraine with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland.