Moscow (CNN) On Sunday, Ukrainians overwhelmingly threw their support behind a political newcomer, actor and comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, to become the country's next President.

After popping the champagne, Zelensky faces some serious tasks. Ukraine has been locked in a proxy war with Russia for five years, and the conflict has claimed around 13,000 lives in the country's east.

The Kremlin saw Zelensky's predecessor, outgoing President Petro Poroshenko, as representing the "party of war," and the election results in Ukraine were greeted by official Russia with what could be described as cautious hope for a reboot in relations.

"There are chances to improve Ukraine's interaction with our country," Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Facebook. "What is needed for this? Honesty. And we need a pragmatic and responsible approach."

Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even suggested Kiev could hit the reboot button, saying , "With all the understanding of how the world works behind the scenes, I'll still say: Ukraine can go for a reset."

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