All news

Poroshenko recognizes his defeat at elections but says he is not quitting politics

The president stressed that these were fair and transparent elections

KIEV, April 21. /TASS/. Ukraine’s incumbent President Pyotr Poroshenko, who, according to the exit polls, is far behind his rival, candidate from the Servant of the People party, showman Vladimir Zelensky, has recognized the results of the voting but said he is not going to quit politics.

"Next month I will vacate the presidential office. This is the choice of Ukrainians. I accept this decision. But I want to stress that I am not quitting politics," he said, adding that these were fair and transparent elections held in conformity with European standards.

He pledged that he and his team will keep on advocating reforms geared towards Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and NATO and consolidating the positions of the Ukrainian language in the country. He vowed to "stand guard" of the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine and promised to spare no effort at the upcoming parliamentary elections not to let a "pro-Russian majority" be formed in the Verkhovna Rada, or Ukraine’s national parliament.