Serhiy Tyhypko, the third-place candidate...

"I have held negotiations with Tymoshenko and Yanukovych on the same day. So far my position remains unchanged. I will not recommend my electors who to vote for in the second round," the Ukrainian news agency LigaBusinessInform quoted Tyhypko as saying.

Yanukovych and Tymoshenko face a February 7 runoff in Ukraine"s presidential polls after neither of them was able to secure victory in the first round of voting.

With 100% of the ballots counted, Yanukovych garnered 35.32% and Tymoshenko took 25.05%.

Ex-National Bank head Tyhypko gained 13.06%. He was followed by ex-parliamentary speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk with 6.96% and incumbent president Viktor Yushchenko with 5.45%. A total of 2.2% of voters voted for "none of the above."

Both Yanukovych and Tymoshenko have indicated a desire to better relations with Moscow, soured in recent years over Kiev"s NATO bid, gas disputes, and a host of other issues.

In line with Ukraine"s legislation, a runoff takes

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