Vote count underway in Ukraine as 39 candidates vie to be next president

World Today

Vote count underway in Ukraine as 39 candidates vie to be next president

First-round ballot counting is underway in Ukraine to determine the leader for the next five years. 39 candidates are looking to claim the top job.
As CGTN’s Stephanie Freid explains, early exit polls suggest the front-runners have emerged.

The results of the Ukraine presidential election have big implications for Moscow. Kiev has banned Russian election monitors. Ukraine and Russia remain deadlocked in a conflict over Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Meanwhile, no pro-Russian candidates have a good chance of winning at the polls.  CGTN’s Lucy Taylor reports from Moscow.

A comedian with no political experience appears to be leading in Ukraine’s presidential election. Results are to be announced Monday. Exit polls suggest political newcomer Volodymyr Zelensky and incumbent President Petro Poroshenko could be heading toward a runoff election on April 21.

Yuval Weber is the Kennan Institute associate professor at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security. He spoke with CGTN’s Frances Kuo about the significance of this election.