Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko discussed the situation in Donbas and prospects for setting up an international tribunal on the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) crash in a telephone conversation with United States' Vice President Joe Biden, the Ukrainian presidential press service said.
‘The Ukrainian head of state informed the United States side on the results of yesterday’s conversation in the Normandy format and on outcomes of the Trilateral Contact Group’s negotiations in Minsk on July 21, particularly on reaching agreement on the withdrawal of heavy weapons smaller than 100mm in caliber and setting up a 30-kilometer demilitarized zone along the line of contact under the OSCE control, which should secure a real ceasefire,’ it said.
Poroshenko and Biden also discussed Ukrainian-United States’ military-technological cooperation and prospects for setting up an international tribunal on the MH17 crash, it said.
During the conversation, Poroshenko expressed the hope that the United States would facilitate the implementation of the agreements on withdrawing heavy weapons smaller than 100mm in caliber, which he described as an essential precondition for further progress toward a political settlement and the resolution of urgent humanitarian and economic problems in Donbas.
Biden supported the Ukrainian president’s efforts toward implementing the Minsk agreements, noting that the Untied States positively views Ukraine’s steps toward achieving peace, a political settlement, and normalization in Donbas.
Poroshenko also said he expected the International Monetary Fund to extend another tranche to Ukraine and informed Biden on the enactment of the last law opening the path toward continuing Ukraine’s financing by the International Monetary Fund.
