Seven years ago, Yulia Tymoshenko roused crowds of hundreds of thousands on Kiev’s Maidan Square, as co-leader of Ukraine’s “Orange Revolution”. Now, she spends her days in a cramped Kiev courtroom, her nights in a jail cell.
The 50-year-old political firebrand is on trial for allegedly exceeding her authority as prime minister in 2009 and signing a gas purchase agreement with Vladimir Putin, the current Russian prime minister, at a ruinous price for Ukraine.
Within days, a judge is expected to give a verdict that could see her jailed for up to 10 years.
That would almost certainly provoke western condemnation and jeopardise Ukraine’s efforts tointegrate more closely with the European Unionat a crucial moment.
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Financial Times: Ukraine trial overshadows EU ties
Seven years ago, Yulia Tymoshenko roused crowds of hundreds of thousands on Kiev's Maidan Square, as co-leader of Ukraine's \u201cOrange Revolution\u201d
