Volodymyr Zelensky wins Ukraine presidency by landslide

BBC informs that Ukrainian comedian Volodymyr Zelensky has scored a landslide victory in the country's presidential election. With nearly all ballots counted in the run-off vote, Mr Zelensky had taken more than 73% with incumbent Petro Poroshenko trailing far behind with 24%.

Financial Times writes that at an event broadcast live on Facebook, Mr Zelensky hugged and thanked supporters, telling them: “I promise I will never betray you.” In comments seemingly directed at neighbouring Russia, he added: “To all the countries of the former Soviet Union, look at us . . . everything is possible.”

France24 writes that Zelensky at 41 will become Ukraine's youngest ever president when he is sworn into office by early June. The star of "Servant of the People", a sitcom now in its third season, has vowed to press ahead with the pro-European course set out by Poroshenko. But he has also said he wants to improve ties with arch-enemy Russia.

The New York Times informs that Mr. Zelensky’s victory will give Ukraine its first Jewish leader and deliver a stinging rebuke to a political and business establishment represented by Mr. Poroshenko, a billionaire candy tycoon who campaigned on the nationalist slogan “Army, language, faith.”

Petro Poroshenko conceded the defeat and wrote on his Twitter: “We succeeded to ensure free, fair, democratic and competitive elections. No doubt that Ukraine has put a new high standard for the democratic electoral campaign. I will accept the will of Ukrainian people.”

Prepared by Marina Muradyan