BRUSSELS, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Europe expects Ukraine to let jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko get medical help in Germany before the end of November, a commissioner said.
Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 on charges she abused her office in negotiating a 2009 natural gas deal with Russian energy company Gazprom. Her supporters say the charges against her were politically motivated.
Tymoshenko has suffered various health complications while in prison. She staged a hunger strike last year.
Stefan Fule, neighborhood policy commissioner for the European Union, was quoted Tuesday by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as saying he "definitely" expects Ukraine will let Tymoshenko travel to Germany for medical treatment before the end of November.
A possible association agreement between the EU and Ukraine is on the agenda for a November meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania. Lithuania holds the rotating presidency of the EU.
Fule said he's seen remarkable progress from Ukrainian leaders on political reforms needed to move closer to the EU. The EU said it had concerns, however, about issues of selective justice in Ukraine.
