Yulia Tymoshenko

Yulia Tymoshenko 2018 Vadim Chuprina

Yulia Tymoshenko 2019.jpg Tymoshenko in 2019

Yulia Tymoshenko (born 27 November 1960) is a Ukrainian politician and former Prime Minister of Ukraine. She is the leader of the Fatherland party and has been a prominent figure in Ukrainian politics since the late 1990s.

Early Life and Education

Yulia Tymoshenko was born in Dnipropetrovsk, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which was then part of the Soviet Union. She graduated from the Kyiv National Economic University with a degree in economics.

Business Career

Before entering politics, Tymoshenko was involved in the energy sector. She co-founded and headed the United Energy Systems of Ukraine, a company that became one of the largest importers of Russian natural gas to Ukraine in the mid-1990s.

Political Career

Early Political Involvement

Tymoshenko entered politics in the late 1990s. She was elected to the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, and served as the Deputy Prime Minister for the fuel and energy sector in the government of Viktor Yushchenko from 1999 to 2001.

Prime Minister of Ukraine

Tymoshenko served as the Prime Minister of Ukraine twice. Her first term was from 24 January 2005 to 8 September 2005, during the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko. Her second term was from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010.

2004 Orange Revolution

Tymoshenko was a key figure in the Orange Revolution, a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in response to the disputed presidential election.

2010 Presidential Election

In the 2010 presidential election, Tymoshenko ran as a candidate but was narrowly defeated by Viktor Yanukovych.

Imprisonment and Release

In 2011, Tymoshenko was convicted of abuse of power and sentenced to seven years in prison. Her imprisonment was widely viewed as politically motivated. She was released in February 2014, following the Euromaidan protests and the ousting of President Yanukovych.

Personal Life

Tymoshenko is married to Oleksandr Tymoshenko, and they have one daughter, Yevhenia Tymoshenko.

Legacy

Yulia Tymoshenko remains a significant and controversial figure in Ukrainian politics. Her career has been marked by both significant achievements and considerable challenges.

See Also

• Orange Revolution
• Euromaidan
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Viktor Yanukovych
• Fatherland (political party)