In response to a warning made by Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius that the European Union (EU) might view the Tymoshenko case as a major obstacle for closer cooperation, the Ukrainian official said that her decisions were affecting the Ukrainian population.
"The most simple solution would be for her to admit her guilt before the Ukrainian people. Many issues would be solved by her apology," the Ukrainian PM told journalists in Vilnius.
"I am not a lawyer, I'm just giving my opinion. However, a decision should be made in the legal dimension. Our European partners should understand this simple truth," he added.
"Her confession would pave way to legal settlement of the issue," Azarov said.
In his words, "Ukraine is paying extra 800 million US dollars every month" due to deals concluded by Tymoshenko.
"Maybe some of the so-called defenders will compensate the money? Why should the Ukrainian nation pay for her mistakes? Her defenders are proposing a solution that is not lawful," said the Ukrainian prime minister.
Last October, Tymoshenko, political competitor of President Viktor Yanukovych, was found guilty for the 2009 gas deal with Russia. Her defenders say she is faced with major health problems in prison.
The EU and the US have criticized the verdict, saying it was a sign of selective justice.
The Lithuanian prime minister, Kubilius, said he had warned his Ukrainian counterpart on Thursday that judicial proceedings would impede Kiev's closer relations with the EU.
"We discussed this in a very open manner. I had an opportunity to tell the prime minister that the European Union and Brussels view the Yulia Tymoshenko case as a very big obstacle for the progress of convergence between Ukraine and the EU, which is a big concern," Kubilius said.
"We are also very concerned about it. I was assured they were searching for suitable solutions to the problem," he added.
The Lithuanian PM emphasized that Ukraine should not have the illusion that agreements with the EU were possible while disregarding European values.
Tymoshenko was one of the key figures during the 2004 Orange Revolution, which kept Yanukovych from gaining foothold in power. Nevertheless, she lost the presidential race to Yanukovych in 2010. A number of her allies were charged with corruption afterwards.
