Ukraine PM seeks to trump rival with EU pledge

Polls opened Sunday in Ukraine's presidential elections which are expected to see a comeback by pro-Russian forces five years after the Orange Revolution.Polls opened at 0600 GMT and were due to close 12 hours later when exit polls are expected to give the first indication of early trends.The pro-Russia Viktor Yanukovich is expected to lead the poll but without winning an overall majority, forcing a second round run-off on February 7 against the likely second place candidate Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Ukraine's charismatic Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was under pressure Tuesday to ease political tensions by conceding defeat to her triumphant rival Viktor Yanukovich in presidential polls.The pro-Russia candidate Yanukovich won Ukraine's presidential elections after bitterly contested elections that rejected the West-leaning policies of the Orange Revolution five years ago.

Pro-Russia politician Viktor Yanukovich was on course Saturday to sweep the first round of Ukraine's presidential polls, five years after vote-rigging by his supporters sparked the Orange Revolution.Polls showed Yanukovich with a clear lead going into Sunday's elections, albeit without the majority required to avoid a second round run-off against his main challenger, the glamorous Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Pro-Russia politician Viktor Yanukovich was on course Saturday to sweep the first round of Ukraine's presidential polls, five years after vote-rigging by his supporters sparked the Orange Revolution.Polls showed Yanukovich with a clear lead going into the Sunday elections, albeit without the majority required to avoid a second round run-off against his main challenger, the glamorous Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko accused her rival in this weekend's presidential run-off vote of cowardice on Monday, after he refused to face her in a televised debate.Tymoshenko said Viktor Yanukovich, the pro-Russian favourite to win Sunday's ballot, was running scared when he failed to show for the 90-minute set-piece on state television.Yanukovich's team called the debate a "lying contest" and said he had more important things to do ahead of the final round vote.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Sunday accused her pro-Russian rival in next week's presidential poll run-off, Viktor Yanukovich, of preparing to take power by force.She said Yanukovich, the favourite to win the February 7 poll, was massing supporters around the capital Kiev and preparing to use "any means" to take power."The electoral commission acts like everything is fine, (but) in the polling stations there are falsifications," Tymoshenko said in the transcript of an interview with a Ukrainian television station made available on the government website.

Ukraine will take a first major step away from dependency on Russian gas supplies on Thursday when it seals a $10 billion shale gas deal with Royal Dutch Shell. Due to be signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the production sharing agreement will mark the biggest contract yet to tap shale gas in Europe and the largest single foreign investment in the former Soviet republic.