Ukraine’s leader will face a runoff next month against comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy to hold on to the presidency, according to an exit poll following the first round of elections on Sunday. That would mean ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is eliminated, along with the other 36 candidates vying for the former Soviet republic’s top office. Tymoshenko, attempting to win the presidency for the third time, said official results — most of which are due Monday — will show she came second. Who leads Ukraine is of global significance since the country of 42 million people, locked between Russia and the European Union, became a geopolitical battleground. “This is just the first step toward a big victory,” Zelenskiy said at his campaign headquarters as supporters drank champagne.

Source: National Post March 31, 2019 21:15 UTC