You're reading: Vitali Klitschko ready to stand bail for Tymoshenko

World heavyweight champion, Ukrainian boxer and Udar Party leader Vitali Klitschko has called on Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to release former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko from custody and said he is ready to stand bail for her.

"The release of Yulia Tymoshenko from custody could be the first step toward restoring stability in the country and the trust of the international community," Klitschko said at a press conference in Kyiv on August 9.

"If it’s necessary to stand bail for this fragile woman, I am ready to do it," Klitschko cited his address to the head of state.

He noted that he planned to submit an address to the president on Tuesday.

"If the court denies me, then it is only you, Mr. President, who can do this," he said.

Klitschko said that immediately after the press conference, he would meet with diplomats and foreign representatives to hold talks linked to the arrest of Tymoshenko.

Klitschko also said that he was acting "not in support of Yulia Tymoshenko, but for the dialog between the government and the opposition."

"The lack of dialog between the government and the opposition is a direct path to dictatorship," he said.

When asked whether his party was ready to join mass protests in support of Tymoshenko, Klitschko said, "Our political force does not exclude its participation in political rallies, but we would like to use the legal field."

When asked when he intends to return to Austria to resume his interrupted preparations for his upcoming boxing match against Pole Tomasz Adamek, Klitschko said that if necessary, he would be able to continue these preparations in Ukraine.