MOSCOW, June 25 (RIA Novosti) - Euro 2012 joint host Ukraine faces serious difficulties in completing preparations for the tournament, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said on Thursday.
Ukraine has been hard hit by the global financial crisis, and delays in the implementation of plans to improve infrastructure have lagged far behind UEFA requirements. UEFA president Michel Platini said recently that, "There are huge infrastructure problems to be resolved in Ukraine."
European football's governing body has so far only confirmed that the capital, Kiev, will host games, although it has not yet approved the city as the venue for the final. A decision on the suitability of the three other cities - Donetsk, Lvov and Kharkov - will be made on November 30.
"November 30 is Judgment Day," Yushchenko said, as quoted by the Rosbalt news agency. "Believe me, I don't want to play the role of a bearer of bad news, but all of this is a major warning."
Ukraine and Poland were named as joint hosts for the tournament in April 2007. All four Polish cities put forward for Euro 2012 - Warsaw (opening game), Poznan, Wroclaw and Gdansk - have been confirmed by UEFA as venues.
