You're reading: Edmonton Journal: Gas fuels Ukraine’s political strife

Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko is on trial in Kyiv for negotiating a gas deal with Russia two years ago that was allegedly unfavourable to Ukraine. Last week she was hauled off to jail for her behaviour in the courtroom, which included refusing to stand when the judge entered the room and verbally abusing some of the witnesses, including current prime minister Nikolai Azarov, for speaking in Russian. International opinion has condemned the administration of President Viktor Yanukovych for what appears to be a politically based trial. One analyst commented that with this trial the Ukrainian government has "crossed the Rubicon" in its slide from democracy to authoritarianism. Read full story here.