KIEV, Feb. 16 – European leaders spoke directly with President Viktor Yanukovych to express their concern over travel restrictions imposed by the authorities on Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

The authorities have twice over the past three weeks rejected Tymoshenko’s request to travel to Brussels for meetings with European Union politicians.

“I had a conversation with the leaders of European structures that have expressed their willingness to see Tymoshenko in Brussels,” Yanukovych said at a press conference in Kharkiv on Tuesday. “I think a procedure like this must take place because the restriction is not acceptable.”

The comment shows that the European politicians have communicated directly with Yanukovych to put pressure on the authorities for letting Tymoshenko leave Ukraine for the meetings.

This underscores a new tactic as the Ukrainian authorities have so far failed to react to general political statements criticizing the deteriorating political freedoms in Ukraine.

Tymoshenko was against invited to join a summit of the European People’s Party in Brussels on March 23-24, during which she will be able to meet a number of European Union leaders.

Tymoshenko, whose ability to travel are restricted due to on-going investigation into her alleged abuse of power as prime minister in 2009, said she will soon submit to the authorities another request to visit Brussels.

Yanukovych said he was “irritated” by the restrictions that he says have been imposed by the prosecutors.

“The restrictions, imposed on Tymoshenko, are irritating me too,” Yanukovych said “A person must be free until questions are answered [in court].”

“The fight against corruption must have nothing to do with politics to make sure that there is no selective approach,” Yanukovych said.

Yanukovych is known to completely control Ukraine’s all law enforcement agencies, including the Prosecutor General’s Office, has been willing to use this control for political purposes.

For example, the mounting prosecutor pressure on Vasyl Onopenko, the head of the Supreme Court, eased on Tuesday after his one-on-one meeting with Yanukovych on Monday.

The criminal case against Onopenko’s daughter was closed, while his son-in-law has been released from custody. Political analysts said the developments may be underscoring a secret political deal between Onopenko and Yanukovych.

Tymoshenko reacted sarcastically to the comments from Yanukovych.

“Yanukovych’s irritation looks very nice especially as the prosecutors told me that they were ready to let me go to Brussels, but there is ban from the president,” Tymoshenko said.

“If the president admitted his mistake, then I think his specific relative [Prosecutor General Viktor] Pshonka will listen to this,” Tymoshenko said.

The pressure on Tymoshenko intensified late last year after she had repeatedly traveled to Brussels to criticize Yanukovych on international arena.

After one such trip last year, an anonymous caller phoned Tymoshenko and told her that she will “cough up blood” unless she stops criticizing Yanukovych internationally. (tl/ez)