The parties of President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk appear to have won big in Ukraine's parliamentary elections on Sunday, with each taking about 21 percent of the vote, according to incomplete preliminary results. A third Europe-looking party, Selfhelp, has 11 percent so far, giving Poroshenko a solid majority governing coalition and a mandate to end the pro-Moscow rebellion in eastern Ukraine.
"This is a big victory for pro-Ukrainian and statehood (anti-Putin) parties, which will be in the vast majority in the new parliament," says Standard Bank analyst Timothy Ash. It was also a "big vote for the Western reform agenda," which will cause new tension with Russia. Allies of ousted Russia-aligned President Viktor Yanukovich appear to have won about 10 percent of the vote, but the communists didn't win enough votes to get any seats — marking the first time since Ukraine gained independence from Russia that parliament won't have any communists.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 8, 2025Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - trade wars, healthcare costs, and more
-
Marbled tea eggs recipeThe Week Recommends With a beautiful exterior, these eggs are also marked by their soft yolk
-
The Washington Post: kowtowing to Trump?Talking Point The newspaper's opinion editor has handed in his notice following edict from Jeff Bezos
-
Ukraine: where do Trump's loyalties really lie?Today's Big Question 'Extraordinary pivot' by US president – driven by personal, ideological and strategic factors – has 'upended decades of hawkish foreign policy toward Russia'
-
Is Europe's defence too reliant on the US?Today's Big Question As the UK and EU plan to 're-arm', how easy will it be to disentangle from US equipment and support?
-
Is the British Army ready to deploy to Ukraine?Today's Big Question The UK 'would be expected to play a major role' if a peacekeeping force is sent to enforce ceasefire with Russia
-
What will Trump-Putin Ukraine peace deal look like?Today's Big Question US president 'blindsides' European and UK leaders, indicating Ukraine must concede seized territory and forget about Nato membership
-
Ukraine's disappearing armyUnder the Radar Every day unwilling conscripts and disillusioned veterans are fleeing the front
-
Cuba's mercenaries fighting against UkraineThe Explainer Young men lured by high salaries and Russian citizenship to enlist for a year are now trapped on front lines of war indefinitely
-
Ukraine-Russia: are both sides readying for nuclear war?Today's Big Question Putin changes doctrine to lower threshold for atomic weapons after Ukraine strikes with Western missiles
-
The North Korean troops readying for deployment in UkraineThe Explainer Third country wading into conflict would be 'the first step to a world war' Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned
