A Ukrainian court yesterday jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for seven years after convicting her of abuse of power, in a ruling that endangers Kiev’s hopes of joining the European Union.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that the verdict could prompt a reassessment of the bloc’s ties with Ukraine, which had hoped this year to sign an Association Agreement in a key first step to membership.

But in apparent recognition of the potentially devastating consequences for the country, President Viktor Yanukovych insisted the decision was not final and that he understood the European Union’s anxiety over the trial.

The trial “risks having profound implications for the EU-Ukraine bilateral relationship, including for the conclusion of the Association Agreement,” Mr Ashton said in a statement.

Judge Rodion Kireyev earlier found Ms Tymoshenko guilty of exceeding her authority while Prime Minister in 2009 by making the state energy company sign a 10-year gas import deal with Russia that was overly advantageous to Moscow.

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