Ukraine’s Political Scene: Russian Intervention and the Upcoming Presidential Election

On 25 May 2014, a presidential election will be held in Ukraine, and Petro Poroshenko is the most likely candidate to win. Amid the continuing armed conflicts provoked by pro-Russian militants in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the chances are that over a half of the voters in those regions will not participate in the election. However, that will not invalidate the result in Ukraine as a whole. The EU should respond to the emergence of an elected interlocutor in Kyiv by signing the trade provisions of the Association Agreement, and taking further steps towards a visa-free regime for Ukrainians.