介绍:
Three polls have given Poroshenko between 55 and 57 percent of the vote, well ahead of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko who appears to be in second place with just over 12 percent.
If these results are confirmed later today there will be no need for a runoff vote next month.
Poroshenko says the results show Ukrainians' support for the European path.
"There are two problems that are a matter of principle for the Ukrainian state. The number one issue is that Ukraine will never recognize the illegitimate referendum and will never recognize occupation of Crimea. Today, on May 25, in the first round the people have made their choice. And that choice is European integration. On many other issues we can have discussions with Russia."
The 48-year-old says the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine matters most to him.
The independent politician is a former minister of trade and the head of the council that runs the national bank.
Known as the "Chocolate King", he controls a large confectionery group called Roshen.
About 35 million Ukrainian were eligible to vote on Sunday and 34,000 polling stations were set up across the country, though not in Crimea.
Opposition groups in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk also blocked the vote.
The two regions have declared independence.
It is reported that only about 20 percent of polling stations in the regions were working.
"He is not our president , we didn't vote for him. Those in the west might have voted, but here we didn't. We didn't hold the election here as far as I know."
Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama says the election is an important step forward to unify the country and the U.S. looks forward to working with the new president.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also showed his support for the vote, saying he will respect the choice made by the Ukrainian people.
He stresses the need for dialogue in solving the ongoing crisis in the former Soviet republic.
"We have instruments to search for a dialogue, to carry out a dialogue and search for solutions, to move toward solutions. Yet these instruments should be used not for serving the interests of one side, but should be used for search of a compromise acceptable to all participants of the process with an obligatory concern for mutual interests."
Ukraine has gone through months of political turmoil after former President Viktor Yanukovych was forced out of office in February and fled to Russia.
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