AKIPRESS.COM - Head of the State Duma’s Committee on CIS affairs Leonid Slutsky said that the victory of Petro Poroshenko at the Ukrainian presidential election was expectable and pledged to develop a dialogue with the new Kiev authorities, ITAR-TASS reported.

“From the constructive viewpoint, it is better to accept today’s reality — legitimization of the authority through presidential elections, and to begin a constructive dialogue,” Slutsky told reporters.

However, he said, the Russian side still has justified doubts regarding the legitimacy of the election of the new authorities of Ukraine, including at the presidential level.

According to the committee’s head, “the main issue now is whether this election becomes a turning point in Ukraine’s history and if it results in stopping bloodshed and escalation of violence, whether it gives an impetus to a constructive civil dialogue”. “If this happens, then undoubtedly such a turn of events will make the recently held presidential election legitimate,” the parliamentarian added.

Slutsky said that Russian lawmakers were ready to intensify the dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities with regard to the May 25 presidential elections. “We are certainly ready for a constructive dialogue with the new Kiev authorities; we hope to intensify our contacts with the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament), although it should be noted that this dialogue has not been discontinued,” he concluded.

The early presidential elections were held in Ukraine on May 25. Presidential candidate Petro Poroshenko, according to the exit poll, has gained more than 54% of votes.