Observers from the International Election Observers Mission (OSCE/ODIHR, PACE, NATO, EU) praised the second round of the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election, as “an impressive display of democratic elections”. With all the votes counted, opposition leader Yanukovych won with 48.95 percent of the votes against 45.47 percent for Prime Minister Tymoshenko.

The international observations team called on both candidates to accept the result. According to Joao Soares, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Special Co-ordinator of the OSCE short-term observers, “it is now time for the country’s political leaders to listen to the people’s verdict and make sure that the transition of power is peaceful and constructive”.

This call was likely addressed especially to the defeated Tymoshenko, who apparently has been considering contesting the election result in court. Beside a short comment on Sunday, when she said that she does not trust election polls, Tymoshenko kept silent and cancelled two press conferences the following day. Late Monday night, however, according to a leak cited in Ukrayinska Pravda, she declared that she would “never admit the legitimacy of the victory of Yanukovych with such an election.” Despite the overall impressive judgement by both international (both Western and from the CIS) and domestic (Committee of Voters of Ukraine) observers, there were more accusations across Ukraine this time than after the first round of elections on January 17, including sightings of illegal ballots, others gone missing, and the burning of a polling station.

Nevertheless, the reactions from abroad were characterized by a relief that the elections did not cause more irregularities or even violence between supporters of the candidates. On Tuesday, Russian President Medvedev phoned Yanukovych and congratulated him with success and “for the implementation of a choice that had high marks from international observers”. Between the first and second round, the Russian media had switched towards backing Yanukovych after having given more or less equal treating towards the two front-runners during the previous stage of the election campaign.

Also, the United States warmly welcomed the election, but without mentioning any names. “We welcome the high turnout. The implementation of both the first and second round shows that a new stage in the consolidation of Ukrainian democracy,” read the message from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.

Finally, the EU foreign relations Chief Catherine Ashton congratulated Ukraine on holding free and fair presidential elections. She said that “the generally calm atmosphere in which the elections were conducted, the open campaign in the media and the fact that the electorate were provided with a genuine choice represent important achievements in Ukraine’s democratic development,” in remarks that will make it harder for the losing side to contest the result.

The Ukrainian elections follow a campaign where the Europeans and the US had hardly noticed any big difference in the two front-runners’ ideology and prospect for future relations with the West. Therefore, the comments breathe the West’s desire for Ukraine to appoint a president quickly and avoid a legal battle over its election. This would demonstrate to the West that Ukraine can forge coherent policies to pull it out of economic crisis and end years of infighting.