Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss the implementation of the Minsk agreements of September 2014 and February 2015. Both leaders expressed their support for the agreements and called on Russia and Russia-backed separatists to fully implement the provisions of the agreements calling for a ceasefire and verified withdrawal of heavy weapons, unfettered access for OSCE monitors, and exchange of all prisoners. President Poroshenko also noted that Ukraine had taken additional steps in keeping with the Minsk agreements to delineate the provisions of the law on special status passed by the Rada in September 2014. Finally, both leaders welcomed the disbursement of the first tranche of the new IMF program for Ukraine.