The Ukrainian cities of Kharkov, Lvov and Donetsk finally received UEFA approval on Friday to host Euro 2012 matches, European football's governing body said.
Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, hailed the decision as a victory for the country, which is co-hosting the tournament with Poland, and called on President Viktor Yushchenko to step up his support for the project.
"I want to congratulate all of Ukraine now - Ukraine's four cities have been fixed as host cities for Euro 2012. Kiev has been confirmed as the city that will hold the final competition," Tymoshenko told journalists on Friday.
UEFA took its final decision on staging matches in Kharkov, Lvov and Donetsk, as well as on the location of the final, at an executive committee meeting on Friday, but warned that much remains to be done.
"There is still a huge amount of work that must be undertaken by all host cities and the government of Ukraine to guarantee the full and proper implementation of the tournament requirements for UEFA Euro 2012 matches," UEFA said in a statement.
All four venues in co-host Poland were approved in May, along with Kiev for group, quarterfinal and semifinal games, but UEFA delayed a decision on the three other Ukrainian cities due to slow progress in the country's preparations.
Ukraine has been hit hard by the global financial crisis, and funding for the tournament has become a bone of contention between Tymoshenko and Yushchenko. The former allies have been at loggerheads for more than a year as the country has lurched between political and economic crises.
The president rejected a bill on funding the necessary infrastructure and other improvements but parliament overrode his veto in October.
Yushchenko has argued that the spending would encourage inflation and lead to the devaluation of the hryvnia, and the National Bank of Ukraine has since told the government that a lack of funds means it cannot allocate the more than $1 billion stipulated for the organization of Euro 2012.
Tymoshenko called on Yushchenko to reconsider his veto in the wake of UEFA's decision.
"I really believe that after such a victory ... the president will withdraw his veto of the law on financing the Euros, because we do not need to create a 'financial famine,' we need to open all avenues for Ukraine's preparation for the Euros," the prime minister said on Friday.
The tournament will begin in June 2012 in Warsaw, with games in Gdansk, Poznan and Wroclaw as well as the four Ukrainian cities.
KIEV, December 11 (RIA Novosti)
