21 April

Ukrainians are set to cast their ballots in a high-profile presidential runoff on Sunday. Incumbent President Petro Poroshenko will face off with challenger Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The 41-year-old comedian and actor received the most votes in the first round last month.

A major issue the new president will have to take on is how to deal with Russia, which annexed Crimea in southern Ukraine five years ago. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists is ongoing in the east. The 53-year-old Poroshenko has been demonstrating a hardline stance against Russia. During the campaign, he stressed speeding up efforts to obtain membership of NATO.

Meanwhile, Zelenskiy ran on a platform criticizing a series of corruption scandals and the economic slowdown under the current Poroshenko government. The results are being closely watched as they could have a major impact on relations between Russia and the West. The United States and European nations issued sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea and have increasingly isolated the country.

The polls will open at 8 a.m. local time, with preliminary results expected late Sunday.—NHK