Vitali Klitschko Withdraws From Ukraine's Presidential Race, Will Now Run For Mayor of Kiev

Former Ukrainian world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko announced Saturday that he will drop his presidential bid and support a billionaire businessman for the country’s top job.

"The only way to win is by nominating a single candidate from the democratic ranks," Klitschko said Saturday "This should be a candidate with the greatest support from the people."

He told a congress of Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR) party members that he will run for mayor of Kiev in the May 25th elections.

Vitaliy Klitschko announces on March 29 his decision to withdraw from the upcoming presidential election.

Klitschko’s support of confectionery businessman Petro Poroshenko, also known as the country’s “chocolate king,” comes amid the annexation of Crimea to Russia and rising tensions between the US and Russia.

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"The principle of 'brother for brother' should be built on and broadened — we should not just have 'brother for brother' but also 'friend for friend,'" Poroshenko said Saturday.

Poroshenko played a large role in the months-long protests that led to the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych. Poroshenko will face former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in the May elections.

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On Friday, President Barack Obama urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his troops from the border. Putin emphasized to Obama that Ukraine's government has continued the “rampage of extremists."

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