In Ukraine - the trial against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is seen by many as indicative of a wider erosion of democratic gains made after the Orange Revolution in 2004. Critics of Viktor Yanukovych, the country's president since 2010, accuse him of trying to remove his political rivals and silence independent media. EU leaders have warned that a guilty verdict for Tymoshenko could jeopardize a free trade deal with Kiev - aimed at paving the way to eventual EU membership. Yulia Tymoshenko was jailed for contempt of court in August. She's accused of abuse of power when brokering a gas deal with Russia that cost Ukraine hundreds of millions of euros. Tymoshenko says the charges are politically motivated, an attempt by the president to stifle the opposition in the country. Old divisions remain in the former Soviet country - People in the south and east would like to maintain close relations with Russia whereas others favour a pro EU policy.