Ukraine voters embrace West and peace with rebels

KIEV: Pro-Western and nationalist parties were on course on Monday for a crushing Ukrainian election win, boosting President Petro Poroshenko's bid to merge his country with Europe and make peace with pro-Russian rebels.

Early results and exit polls indicated overwhelming support for Poroshenko's drive to break his war-torn country out of Russia's orbit despite the painful economic measures the Kremlin has levied on its western neighbor in reprisal.