Former Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, has been jailed for 7 years after convicting her of abusing power, enraging the West and jeopardising Kiev’s hopes of EU membership. The sentence was given by a court on Tuesday.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said that the verdict could prompt a reassessment of the Bloc’s ties with Ukraine.

The United States bitterly condemned it, calling it a politically motivated prosecution while Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin expressed bewilderment at the severity of the sentence.

UN Chief Ban Ki-moon said he expected the judicial proceedings to be conducted in a fair and impartial manner. In an 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.