Ukraine's Central Election Commission on Wednesday declared Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich winner of the presidential elections.
Commission head Serhiy Kivalov said Yanukovich has won 49.46 percent of the vote while his disgruntled rival Viktor Yushchenko 46.61 percent.
Yanukovich said he would try to promote living standards and was ready to talk with the opposition.
"We must improve our lives and we will do it together ... Tomorrow, we start stalks with Yushchenko's team. We will look for common ground."
Yushchenko refused to concede, claiming there was brazen fraud in the elections and calling for a nationwide strike.
"People will have to look for truth in the streets in open struggle ... (A strike will be) our answer to the lawlessness of Kuchma and Yanukovich."
Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma warned of a civil war and asked for restraint from the two fighting camps.
He called on the world community to "refrain from interfering in Ukraine's affairs", clearly in response to comments of the United States and Europe that the elections were not up to international standard.
The 54-year-old Yanukovich had been Prime Minister since November 2002.