You're reading: German ambassador: Association agreement unlikely to be signed unless Tymoshenko is free

German Ambassador to Ukraine Hans-Jurgen Heimsoeth believes that the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement will not be signed if former prime minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko stays in prison.

When asked whether the signing of the association agreement is possible this year in an interview with the Segodnya Newspaper, published on Thursday, the diplomat said: "Everything is possible. But the conditions for this have been clearly stated. I would not count on its signing, if Mrs Tymoshenko remains in prison."

Heimsoeth noted that Germans have an impression that the proceedings against members of the Tymoshenko government are political motivated and connected with the upcoming parliamentary elections. "And this is the case not only with Tymoshenko, but also with the trial against former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko. It lacks a sense of proportion," the diplomat added.