Poroshenko sworn in as Ukraine new president

Petro Poroshenko is sworn in as the new president of Ukraine amid hopes that he could restore peace and stability to the country.

The 48-year-old chocolate tycoon was inaugurated in the presence of dozens of foreign dignitaries in the parliament on Saturday. He is now expected to lay out his plan for ending the country’s crisis.

Western countries have promised to support Poroshenko following his election victory on May 25.

The new Ukraine president is facing major challenges including the tug of war between Russia and the West and the ongoing unrest in Ukraine’s east, where pro-Russia activists have been active.

On Friday, Poroshenko briefly met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in France.

Poroshenko said this could be the beginning of a negotiation on a ceasefire between the government forces in Kiev and the pro-Russia activists in the eastern regions of the country.

President Putin also welcomed Poroshenko’s position that the bloodshed “should be immediately stopped,” and urged the Ukrainian authorities to halt the “punitive” military operations as a prerequisite for talks between Kiev and the protesters.

Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking parts in the east have been the scene of deadly clashes between pro-Russia protesters and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations in the region in mid-April.

Poroshenko had previously ruled out negotiations with the pro-Russians, vowing to continue military operations in the country’s southeastern provinces.