Many candidates but few real choices in Ukraine vote

Significance

The two obvious candidates, incumbent Petro Poroshenko, and his main challenger Yulia Tymoshenko, have been joined by television comic Volodymyr Zelensky, a disruptor candidate who has pulled ahead in polling. The pro-European, pro-reform agenda is not strongly represented, nor are Russian-backed candidates, while the much-reported-on far right stands even less chance.

Impacts

• The military stand-off has stabilised after the Kerch Straits clash, but remains fragile.
• The absence of voters from Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk may skew preferences but will not invalidate the polls' legitimacy.
• Moscow will inevitably ramp up rhetoric about 'fascism' and 'illegitimate government', with limited impact on Ukrainian voters.