In Ukraine's superheated political scene, presidential front-runner Petro Poroshenko cuts a notably cool figure.
The soft-spoken candy tycoon has a pragmatic bent and a penchant for compromise - which may be an asset for Ukraine as it tries to cool tensions with Russia while cultivating closer ties with the European Union.
Since independence in 1991, Ukraine's politics has been dominated by figures holding dogmatic positions even to the point of self-destruction. Poroshenko, in contrast, gets criticized for lacking any obvious ideology, making him an enigma at a time when Ukraine is struggling to find a clear direction.
But as Ukraine struggles through a complex and frequently violent crisis, voters seem to think a flexible man is what the country needs right now. Opinion polls show the 48-year-old Poroshenko far ahead of the other 20 candidates in Sunday's presidential election. His 35 per cent support is not enough to win the first round outright, but the same polls indicate he'd win the runoff three weeks later.
The presidential election is a critical step for Ukraine. Russia, which the West alleges is fomenting the unrest in eastern Ukraine, claims the acting government is a junta. A credible election would bring a level of legitimacy to Ukraine's government and undermine Moscow's argument that it needs to intervene in the country's affairs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has cautiously endorsed the election, describing it as a "step in the right direction."
Moscow, however, stopped short of endorsing any candidate and made it clear that it does not support anyone in particular, because it views the ouster of Russia-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych as illegitimate.
Poroshenko is a staunch EU supporter but says it's important to mend ties with Russia quickly. Relations with Moscow should be equal and should not undermine Ukrainians' desire for closer ties with the European Union, he says.
"We must build a relationship with our neighbor, Russia, in a way that they would first of all ensure the security of Ukrainian citizens," he said on a campaign trail earlier this week. But "in order to speak with Russia as equals, we have to build a strong state."
Facing criticism for his stint in Yanukovych's government as economics minister in 2012, Poroshenko told the Ukrainian Korrespondent magazine last year that he was ready to "put his reputation at risk" in preparing the ground for a trade deal with the European Union.
