Ukraine votes in presidential election seen as vital for overcoming turmoil, restoring order

KIEV, Ukraine – Ukrainians are going to the polls to elect a new president, three months after the ouster of the country’s pro-Russia leader.

Sunday’s vote is taking place despite deadly fighting in the country’s east, where pro-Russia insurgents have seized government buildings and are clashing with government forces. The rebels have vowed not to allow the vote.

The interim Kyiv government and the West are accusing Russia of backing the mutiny after it annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in March. The West has slapped economic sanctions on Russia as retaliation.

Billionaire businessman and lawmaker Petro Poroshenko, who actively supported the winter’s anti-government protests, is expected to win Sunday’s vote, but polls show him short of a majority required for an outright victory, so a runoff set for June 15 is expected.