The defense lawyer of former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, Viktor Chevhuz, has said that his client may be deported from the United States, where he is currently staying, the Vesti newspaper wrote on Monday.

"The immigration authorities are to consider his application for residency in the United States by the end of the year. There may be several solutions to this issue. The worst case scenario is the denial and the demand for him to leave the U.S. within 72 hours with the right to fly anywhere. Or a deportation to a country from which he arrived - Greece, because there is no extradition treaty with Ukraine," Chevhuz said.

The ex-premier's lawyer also expressed doubt that Lazarenko would return to Ukraine, as the criminal cases against him, which had been previously dropped, may be reopened.