German doctor 'returns to Ukraine to see Tymoshenko'

A senior German doctor who has twice examined Ukraine's jailed ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko returned to the ex-Soviet country on Friday, sources told AFP. Karl Max Einhaeupl, head of the Charite clinic in Berlin, has headed back to Ukraine to see Tymoshenko, who suffers from back pain and launched a hunger strike on April 20 to protest an alleged prison beating, they said. He is accompanied by German diplomats, the sources added. Asked by AFP, the Berlin university hospital and the Germany foreign ministry declined to comment. But a foreign ministry spokesman, during a regular government press conference, sought to play down hopes for a quick resolution to Tymoshenko's fate despite "intense" efforts by Berlin. "We are making intense efforts to find a solution with the Ukrainian authorities on the Tymoshenko case so that she receives appropriate treatment," Andreas Peschke told reporters. "I just want to dampen hopes -- it is complicated to find a solution and that is still going to take some time," he added. And he reiterated that Berlin remained ready for the 2004 Orange Revolution leader to come to Germany for treatment. Einhaeupl, who examined Tymoshenko in February and April, urged Ukraine last Friday to allow her treatment abroad and said the Berlin university hospital was ready to treat her. The European Union has said all its commissioners would skip next month's Euro 2012 football matches in the country to protest Tymoshenko's treatment. Austria has announced it will boycott all matches hosted by Ukraine, a move that reportedly could be matched by Germany.