Ukraine minister resigns over Euro-2012 preparations

Ukraine's transport minister resigned on Wednesday, saying Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was blocking funds needed to prepare for the Euro-2012 football championships.

Ukraine's transport minister resigned on Wednesday, saying Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was blocking funds needed to prepare for the Euro-2012 football championships.

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Yosip Vinsky, who rivals say may run against Tymoshenko in a presidential election early next year, said the government was not doing enough to prepare for Europe's top international football competition, which Ukraine is co-hosting with Poland.

"The prime minister is blocking ... the deployment of sufficient resources for the construction of infrastructure for the Euro-2012 championships," Vinsky said, according to quotes provided by his press service to announce his resignation.

The preparations were one of a series of political and policy disagreements with Tymoshenko that forced him to resign, Vinsky said.

UEFA president Michel Platini last month warned the Euro-2012 final could be moved to Warsaw if problems with Kiev's main stadium, airport and transport infrastructure were not resolved.

Vinsky is the fourth minister to leave the government this year amid political turmoil in the run up to next year's presidential election.