Readout of Vice President Biden’s Call Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about implementation of the Minsk agreements, economic reforms, and anti-corruption initiatives. The Vice President congratulated President Poroshenko on the conduct of Ukraine's local elections, which represent another milestone in the country's democratic development. The two leaders also discussed the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and agreed that Russia and the separatists had to immediately fulfil President Putin's pledge from the October 2 Normandy leaders' meeting in Paris to grant full OSCE access to the entire territory of the Donbas. Regarding economic reforms, the Vice President reiterated the U.S. willingness to provide a third $1 billion loan guarantee to Ukraine contingent on continued Ukrainian progress to investigate and prosecute corruption and ensure that Ukraine's tax reform is consistent with its IMF program.