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Unsinkable Yulia Tymoshenko

Steven Laack | 15.10.2015 08:07 | World

ulia Tymoshenko rises like a phoenix from the political ashes making Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko worry about his career’s future.

It seemed that after the 2014 revolutionary change of power Mrs. Tymoshenko left the top ranks of Ukraine’s political elite for good being replaced by new forces who play on people’s heart-strings and the desire to forget everything related to their past. However, over the last few months the ‘Orange Princess’ has managed to overcome all obstacles most particularly. According to recent public-opinion poll, her rating is only slightly below the rating of Petro Poroshenko. ( http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/yulia-tymoshenko-it-won-t-just-be-revolution-this-time-but-the-end-of-ukraine-a6683731.html)




The come-back of the Ukrainian ex-premier who has served a term of several years in prison looks even more amazing amid the measures taken by official Kiev to prevent the strengthening of her positions. Large-scale information war against Yulia Tymoshenko is being waged by all available means from the spread of libel and gossip on the pages of tabloids and social networks down to threats to institute criminal proceedings.

For instance, soon after a hand grenade was let off during the protest actions of nationalist groups at the building of the Verkhovna Rada, information about Tymoshenko’s involvement to organization of this crime as well as institution of criminal case in relation to her by Prosecutor-General’s Office of Ukraine was spread in Internet. ( http://doubtingsteven.blogspot.com/2015/09/doors-of-ukrainian-prisons-are-again.html) Later the Prosecutor’s Office made a denial of this statement. But despite the fact there is no prosecution, this incident can be described as some kind of a warning to Tymoshenko that in case of need Poroshenko will go all lengths to get rid of a competitor just the way Yanukovych did.

The online petition for sending Tymoshenko to Honduras as an ambassador that was posted on the official website of Ukrainian President and collected more than 25 thousand signatures also speaks for itself. ( https://petition.president.gov.ua/petition/7786) However this measure seems to be slightly belated. The former Prime Minister had to be sent there before her rating jumped up. Now it may lead to another round of people’s protests.

Representatives of the pro-presidential Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction in the parliament, who accuse Mrs. Tymoshenko of corruption and illegal spending of state funds for lobbying her private interests through the US Congress, are also involved in this baiting. ( http://blogs.pravda.com.ua/authors/leschenko/560d2b3bae1ed/)

However, it is safe to say that the ex-premier of Ukraine successfully copes with these challenges enjoying support of not only greater part of the country’s population but also politicians from Washington as evidenced by the recent letter of US Senator for Connecticut and a member of the Democratic Party Christopher Murphy.



Though Sen. Ch. Murphy does not say anything about specific measures to assist Mrs. Tymoshenko, he assures her that ‘the U.S. Congress still consider you a most conscientious politician in the post-Soviet states’.

The other speaking proof of Y. Tymoshenko’s success is the fact of her interview with such British daily edition as The Independent. ( http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/yulia-tymoshenko-it-won-t-just-be-revolution-this-time-but-the-end-of-ukraine-a6683731.html) Obviously, European reputable media do not waste time on politicians filed away in storage. And although it is still too early to talk about the victory of Lady ‘Yu’ who now has risen from political nonbeing, red-hot political campaign for winning at least the Prime Minister’s seat is certain. And if we take into account rapidly falling rating of the incumbent President with incoming economic default of the country and extremes of winter conditions, then there are good chances that Yulia Tymoshenko wins this battle.

Steven Laack
- e-mail: laacksteven@gmail.com
- Homepage: http://doubtingsteven.blogspot.com/