The former President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, testified in the Pechersk Court in Kyiv, in the trial against his former close associate and former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko.
Yushchenko said that in 2009 he did not have the power to prevent the then prime minister from signing a contract with Russia on gas imports, even though that contract was harmful to Ukraine.
Tymoshenko, when she realized the mistake, tried to correct it and traveled to Moscow to sign the contract according to the original terms
He testified that Tymoshenko refused to accept Moscow's earlier, more reasonable offer, and was then forced to sign a revised contract in which the Russians dramatically increased the price of gas.
"It was a complete failure of negotiations", said the former president of Ukraine and explained that when Tymoshenko realized the mistake, she tried to correct it and traveled to Moscow to sign the contract according to the original conditions.
"It was never done because of the Russian side," which refused to discuss it with Tymoshenko, Yushchenko said.
He also said he received a copy of the contract by fax from an unknown sender in Moscow. "It is not known who is behind that fax machine. Whether the intelligence services, whether the embassy, or someone else," said Yushchenko, who came to the courtroom accompanied by bodyguards.
Yushchenko also said he received a copy of the contract by fax from an unknown sender in Moscow
Tymoshenko's sympathizers shouted "shame!" escorted Yushchenko into the courtroom.
Yulia Tymoshenko was arrested on August 5 and has been in custody since then, and criminal proceedings are underway against her for abuse of official position, with the accusation that she damaged Ukraine's budget in concluding a gas contract with Russia.
Despite the fact that she enjoys the support of opposition circles in Ukraine, as well as the support of the West, the court in Kyiv has so far rejected seven requests for her to be released from custody and to defend herself from freedom.
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