Local News

Vermonter In Kyiv Reflects On Ukraine Election

Vermont Public | By Patti Daniels,

Published May 28, 2014 at 4:40 PM EDT

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Ukrainians stand in line to receive their ballots at a polling station during presidential and mayoral elections in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, May 25, 2014.

Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

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An elderly woman casts her vote in the presidential election in the eastern town of Krasnoarmeisk, Ukraine, Sunday, May 25, 2014.

Vadim Ghirda / AP

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Election commission officials count ballots at a polling station in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, May 25, 2014.

Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

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Election commission officials count ballots at a polling station in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, May 25, 2014.

Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

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Ukrainian president-elect Petro Poroshenko pauses, during a press conference, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 26, 2014.

Efrem Lukatsky / AP

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Ukrainians read newspapers at a metro station, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 26, 2014. Early returns on Monday suggested candy tycoon Petro Poroshenko was ahead in the first round of balloting of the Ukraine presidential election.

Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

On Sunday, Ukrainian voters elected Petro Poroshenko president. The pro-European billionaire also has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The integrity of Ukraine’s election was a source of concern for Ukrainians and western countries that are worried about separatists regions in the east of the country, and the influence of Putin on Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Roman Kokoduiniak lives in Cabot, but he went to Ukraine last week to watch the election unfold in person. He spoke with Vermont Edition from the capital, Kyiv, about his experiences.