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Petro Poroshenko — Ukraine's new leader

Petro Poroshenko leads in polls with 54.46% after 94.12% of votes counted

Photo {{sliderIndex+1}} from 15

Petro Poroshenko's political career started in 1998, when he first won a seat in the Verkhovna Rada (the Parliament of Ukraine) as a member of the United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine

© ITAR-TASS/Alexei Ivanov

He left the United Social Democratic Party in 2000 to create an independent faction Solidarity

© ITAR-TASS/Alexei Ivanov

Poroshenko was considered a close confidant of Viktor Yushchenko. Media often referred to him as the main sponsor behind the series of demonstrations that got the name 'orange revolution'

© AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky

February 8 to September 8 2005 Poroshenko served as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council

© ITAR-TASS/Konstantin Sazonchik

In 2006 Poroshenko was re-elected to the Ukrainian parliament with the support of Our Ukraine electoral bloc. Photo: Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko in the parliament

© EPA / SERGEY DOLZHENKO

October 2009 through to March 2010 Poroshenko was Ukraine's Foreign Minister. Photo: Petro Poroshenko and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

© AP Photo / Mikhail Metzel

From March to December 2012, Poroshenko was Minister of Economic Development

© ITAR-TASS/Maria Frolova

Petro Poroshenko is one of the most successfull businessmen in Ukraine. He owns the Roshen confectionery conglomerate, which he promised to sell in case he won the election

© EPA / FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA

Poroshenko's wife Marina (left) is a cardiologist. They have two daughters and two sons. Ukraine's former president Viktor Yushchenko is the godfather of the daughters

© ITAR-TASS/Vladimir Sindeyev

On March 29 2014 Poroshenko was registered as a presidential candidate. Another candidate, Vitali Klitschko, pulled back his candidacy to support Poroshenko

© EPA / ANDREY SINITSYN

During the recent protests, Poroshenko was a representative of the Ukrainian authorities in Simferopol

© EPA / MAXIM SHIPENKOV

After the election Poroshanko announced, that his position is not to recognize Crimea's reunification with Russia or the referendums in the east of the country

© ITAR-TASS/Nikolai Lazarenko

Poroshenko supports the course for Ukraine's integration into Europe

© ITAR-TASS/Zurab Dzhavakhadze

Petro Poroshenko during at a polling station

© ITAR-TASS/Nikolai Lazarenko

After 94.12% of votes had been counted, Poroshenko was leading with 54.46%

© EPA / YURI KOCHETKOV

The Ukrainian Central Elections Commission (CEC) has counted 94.12% of electronic protocols in early presidential elections according to which Petro Poroshenko has gained over 54% of votes. The political career of Ukraine's new leader in this photo gallery by ITAR-TASS.

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Ukraine struggles to garner support for Swiss conference — Russian Foreign Ministry

"There are increasingly fewer people willing to discuss this subject with Kiev’s envoys, let alone going there," Rodion Miroshnik stressed

Envoy reports dozens of Russians killed in Ukrainian attacks in past week

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Yerevan has no territorial claims to Baku — Armenian representative to UN court

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Istanbul treaty can serve as basis for dialogue with Ukraine — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov pointed out that any political and diplomatic search of the solution "can only be based on negotiations"

Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 470 military personnel in Donetsk direction over day

The Russian forces destroyed up to 55 military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kherson direction and defeated the enemy in the Rabotino area in the Zaporozhye region

PACE supports use of frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine

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Press review: Israel mulls response to Iran's strike and Ukraine plays shot-caller with US

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Kremlin mum on reports about discussions of Black Sea maritime security pact

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Erdogan accuses Israel of seeking to spread conflict throughout entire region

The Turkish leader slammed Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and said that the only way to ease tension in the region is to stop it

Russian, Israeli security chiefs discuss current escalation in Middle East

On the evening of April 13, Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles toward Israel in response to what it called "repeated crimes" from Tel Aviv, including the attack on the consular office of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus ascribed to Israel