KIEV, Dec. 6 – Talks between the opposition Batkivshchyna party and pro-government groups aimed at a compromise for releasing jailed party leader Yulia Tymoshenko collapsed Tuesday, triggering a standoff in Parliament and briefly blocking its operation.

Ivan Kyrylenko, the Batkivshchyna leader in Parliament, said the party would be able to join forces with the pro-government groups to support unpopular economic measures in exchange for approval of legislation to release Tymoshenko.

But after the pro-government groups had flatly refused to compromise, Batkivshchyna backpedaled on its proposal, while its lawmakers had moved to block the podium in Parliament.

“We will not go for any compromises with our colleagues from the majority,” Kyrylenko said. “We will not go for any proposals that may hurt the people.”

Shortly afterwards, Batkivshchyna lawmakers occupied the podium, blocking the work of the legislature for the rest of the day and resuming demands for the release of their jailed leader.

“Yanukovych, don’t kill Yulia,” said the Batkivshchyna poster stretched across the podium in Parliament.

The escalation happened after the pro-government groups have refused to support the legislation in exchange for Batkivshchyna’s support for a number of unpopular economic bills, such as the 2012 budget draft and a bill allowing trading land in Ukraine.

“We are ready to go for compromises on a number of issues,” Oleksandr Yefremov, the leader of the pro-government Regions Party, said. “But in this particular case the issue had been raised not as a compromise, but as an ultimatum.”

“Naturally, we are not talking the language of ultimatums,” Yefremov said.

The Regions Party and its allies in the government, including the Communist Party, have been reluctant to approve the daft 2012 budget that calls for unpopular measures, such as cutting spending on social issues.

The approval of the land bill is also not popular because it would benefits large-scale land holdings allowing few oligarchs to get huge swathes of land, potentially causing social discomfort among millions of people living in rural areas.

Both measures, along with others, may have a major negative impact on popularity of parties ahead of parliamentary elections that are due in October 2012.

President Viktor Yanukovych and his Regions Party have been losing popular support rapidly over the past four months, while major opposition groups, including Batkivshchyna and the Front for Changes, had their ratings flat, according to opinion polls. This may open opportunities for smaller opposition parties to get more seats in Parliament.

Batkivshchyna lawmakers later on Tuesday decided to lift the blockage of the podium, telling the pro-government groups that the standoff may erupt against on Wednesday unless Parliament agrees to debate legislation that would lead to the release of Tymoshenko. (tl/ez)