The pro-West opposition leader, former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, has ended up in prison.

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Yulia Timoshenko, a volatile but important ally, had talked darkly about Mr Kuchma's fate if he did not co-operate.

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They also like Yulia Timoshenko, a former deputy prime minister who tangled with the tycoons over the country's murky energy business, ending up in jail.

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On September 20th, Yuri Yekhanurov Mr Yushchenko's proposed replacement for Yulia Timoshenko, the prime minister whom he sacked, along with her cabinet, on September 8th was narrowly rejected by parliament.

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Don't think that I am defending someone or standing up for Yulia Timoshenko or Angela Merkel who was also criticized by the Party of Regions for her public statements.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

After the resignation of key officials amid a corruption scandal, Ukraine's president, Viktor Yushchenko, dismissed the government of Yulia Timoshenko and asked Yuri Yekhanurov, a regional governor, to become prime minster.

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