Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss the implementation of President Poroshenko’s peace plan.  The Vice President welcomed Ukraine’s unilateral declaration of a ceasefire on June 20 and expressed concern that separatist leaders have refused to reciprocate.  He also commended President Poroshenko’s continued commitment to holding round-table discussions with civic leaders in eastern Ukraine, in accordance with his peace plan.  President Poroshenko informed the Vice President that Russian-backed separatists continued to attack Ukrainian forces, including with the use of artillery, following the ceasefire declaration.  The Vice President reiterated that the United States was working closely with its G-7 partners to prepare further economic sanctions against Russia if Moscow did not take actions as described in the G-7 Leaders declaration to stop the flow of arms and militants across the border and use its influence to publicly call on the separatists to lay down their arms.