Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the situation in eastern Ukraine. The two leaders agreed that any Russian action in Ukraine, even for purported "humanitarian" purposes, without the formal, express consent and authorization of the Ukraine government would be unacceptable and a violation of international law. President Poroshenko informed the Vice President of his communication with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regarding ICRC’s ongoing efforts to distribute multilateral humanitarian aid -- including assistance from the United States – to the vulnerable populations in eastern Ukraine. The two leaders agreed that if Russia were serious about improving the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine, it had to immediately stop its shelling of Ukrainian troops and release Ukrainian hostages being held inside Russia, as well as cut its provision of weapons to Russian proxies operating in Ukraine. The Vice President and President Poroshenko reiterated that we continue to urge Russia to engage with the international community and the Ukrainian government to find a political solution to the crisis.