Ukraine swears in Petro Poroshenko as new president

Western-backed tycoon Petro Poroshenko has vowed to avert civil war and mend ties with Russia after being sworn in as Ukraine’s fifth post-Soviet president with the nation facing disintegration and economic collapse.

Poroshenko took the oath of office on Saturday a day after holding his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin since a May 25 election victory entrusted him with taming a bloody crisis that has shaken the post-Cold War order.

The 48-year-old magnate -- dubbed the ‘‘chocolate king’’ for his popular brand of sweets -- first asked a packed session of parliament to pay a minute of silence for the 100 people killed in three days of carnage in Kiev that led to the February ouster of Ukraine’s Kremlin-backed regime.

The self-made billionaire then vowed to give an amnesty to any insurgents who had ‘‘no blood on their hands’’ as the first step in a peace initiative designed to save the nation of 46 million -- which saw its Crimea peninsula annexed by Russia in March -- from splitting further along ethnic lines.

 ‘‘I am assuming the presidency in order to preserve and strengthen Ukraine’s unity,’’ Poroshenko said.

‘‘The citizens of Ukraine will never feel the blessing of peace and security until we resolve our relations with Russia.’’

But Poroshenko also added that he would never accept Russia’s seizure of Crimea or attempts to divert Ukraine’s pro-European course.

‘‘Ukraine now returns to its natural European condition that so many generations have longed for,’’ Poroshenko said firmly.

Saturday’s ceremony was attended by US Vice President Joe Biden and European Council president Herman Van Rompuy along with other dignitaries from countries backing Kiev’s Westward drive.

Moscow was only represented by its acting ambassador to Kiev.

Ukrainians hope Poroshenko can resolve an eight-week secessionist drive by pro-Russian militants in the eastern rust belt that has claimed 200 lives.

He must also address a two-year recession and tackle endemic corruption that has turned Ukraine into one of Europe’s poorest countries and has fed public discontent.

A step in the right direction may have been taken on Friday when he shook hands with Putin on the sidelines of D-Day commemorations in Normandy.