KIEV, Jan. 21 - Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych, the frontrunner in Ukraine’s presidential election, said Thursday he will seek to resume talks with Russia over a joint venture to operate natural gas pipelines.

Ukraine and Russia sought six years ago to create the joint venture, known as the International Gas Pipeline Consortium, but the talks had stalled after Viktor Yushchenko, a pro-Western figure, was elected Ukraine’s president in 2005.