Pro-Western parties will dominate Ukraine's parliament after an election handed President Petro Poroshenko a mandate to end a separatist conflict and to steer the country further away from Russia's orbit towards mainstream Europe.
U.S. President Barack Obama hailed Sunday's election as "an important milestone in Ukraine's democratic development" while top European Union officials said on Monday it represented a "victory of the people of Ukraine and of democracy".
But, reflecting the geopolitical struggle between Moscow and the West over Ukraine's future, Russia's foreign minister reacted cautiously, saying Moscow expected Poroshenko to form a government that would heal the "split" in Ukrainian society.
Poroshenko began power-sharing talks with Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk after their political groups led other pro-Western forces committed to democratic reforms in sweeping pro-Russian forces out of parliament.
International observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe gave a further lift to the pro-Western Kiev leadership, saying Sunday's election had "largely upheld democratic commitments" despite the conflict in the east.
After months of conflict and turmoil there was no euphoria from Poroshenko's allies. He faces huge problems: Russia opposes his plans to one day join the European Union, a ceasefire is barely holding between government forces and pro-Russian separatists in the east, and the economy is in dire straits.
Russian President Vladimir Putin can also still influence events, as the main backer of the rebels in the east and through Moscow's role as natural gas supplier to Ukraine and the European Union. He could also remove trade concessions from Kiev if it looks West.
But Poroshenko's immediate task is to cement an alliance with Yatseniuk's People's Front, running neck and neck with his bloc on about 21% support after more than two-thirds of the votes on party lists were counted.
