Ukrainian presidential election 2014 Timelines: N-Ukraine, N-Ukraine-takeover

Pro-European parties look set to dominate Ukraine’s parliament after elections across most of the country on Sunday.

Exit polls put President Petro Poroshenko’s Bloc in the lead, followed by Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyiuk’s People’s Front. A third pro-Western party came in third.

“The results of the election bring firm victory of all democratic pro-European, pro-Ukrainian forces. And that gives us a lot of opportunities to develop, to provide the reform,” said Poroshenko at a media conference.

The Russian government has recognised the results, according to the RIA news agency, which quotes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying:

“I think we will recognise this election because it is very important for us that Ukraine finally will have authorities which do not fight one another, do not drag Ukraine to the West or to the East, but which will deal with the real problems facing the country.”

Sunday’s elections took place just eight months after the revolution that ousted former president Viktor Yanukovych.