Ukraine ? President Viktor Yushchenko urged allies and foes Wednesday to cooperate in a government after Ukraine’s close parliamentary vote, in a call for unity that could alienate his political partner and prompt further turmoil.

As near-final returns pointed to a slim majority for Yushchenko and his 2004 Orange Revolution ally Yulia Tymoshenko over backers of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, a Russian threat to cut natural gas supplies added to the tension.

With all votes counted except for a half a percent of the precincts, Yanukovych’s party had 34.3 percent of the vote, followed by Tymoshenko’s bloc with 30.8 percent. The pro-Yushchenko party was third, with 14.2 percent.

Two smaller parties also cleared the 3 percent barrier needed to win seats but a third party likely to side with Yanukovych looked likely to fall short, almost certainly giving the parties of Tymoshenko and Yushchenko the majority of 226 they would need to form the government.