A lawyer for jailed former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko says a team of foreign doctors has concluded that she has serious health problems.

Ms. Tymoshenko was examined by a group of Western medical experts this week after complaining of severe back pain and inability to walk or stand.

Lawyer Sergiy Vlasenko told reporters Thursday outside the prison facility in Kharkiv Ukraine where she is held that German and Canadian physicians have come to the same conclusion.

“As far as I know, German doctors have come to the conclusion that Tymoshenko has serious health problems. The Canadian doctors, as far as I know, have come to the conclusion that Tymoshenko has serious health problems.''

Vlasenko also said that the independent doctors are proposing different methods of treatment for the ailing Ukrainian politician.

“As far as I understand, independent doctors are talking about absolutely different methods of medical treatment, and do not rule out surgery.''

Ukraine's health ministry argued that domestic doctors agree foreign specials. But Deputy health Minister Raisa Moiseyenko told reporters that the patient has so far refused medical treatment. She expressed hope that Ms. Tymoshenko will be able to choose a treatment after getting a second opinion.

“The most important thing is that our specialists' way of thinking is in agreement (with the foreign doctors). The main thing is that generally, everything regarding the general methods of medical treatment which we have suggested, have unfortunately been rejected by the patient voluntarily and thus were not implemented. That's why we hope that the work of this commission and a consolidated opinion will help Yulia Volodymyrivna (Tymoshenko), to choose a treatment.''

Ukraine's former prime minister is serving a seven-year sentence on charges of abuse of office in a 2009 gas deal with Russia. The West has condemned her trial, that she claimed was instigated by current Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych to remove his strongest political rival.