Biden sees as correct actions of Ukrainian authorities on implementation of peace plan

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Monday had a telephone conversation with U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden during which they discussed the implementation of a peace plan for eastern Ukraine, the presidential press service reported early on Tuesday.

"Biden assessed the actions of the Ukrainian authorities as correct and highly professional," reads the report.

Poroshenko, in turn, said that the cease-fire on the part of militants should be accompanied by the release of hostages and the shutdown of the border "to stop the penetration into Ukraine of mercenaries, weapons and drugs from the Russian side."

"Poroshenko said that Russia should now demonstrate real steps towards," the press service reported.

He said that if the peace plan is not implemented, "the United States and the EU should make decisive efforts in support of Ukraine, in particular, through a European Council decision on June 27."

"Biden informed Poroshenko about a conversation between U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was almost entirely devoted to the Ukrainian question," the press service reported.

At the same time, Poroshenko thanked the United States for support, particularly in the expansion of programs for cooperation in the field of security and defense.

"In particular, the issue concerned simultaneous short-term measures on the provision of immediate assistance, as well as long-term programs to build the institutional capacity of the Ukrainian army," reads the report.

During the conversation, Biden also welcomed the involvement of second Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma in a trilateral format of talks on the implementation of the peace plan.