Biden welcomes passage of Ukraine reforms in call with Poroshenko: White House

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (L) and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden pose for the media prior to meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2016. REUTERS/Michel Euler

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, in a telephone call on Thursday, commended Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko on the passage of anti-corruption legislation sought by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, the White House said. "The Vice President also commended President Poroshenko's decision to replace Prosecutor General Shokin, which paves the way for needed reform of the prosecutorial service," the White House said in a statement. (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Sandra Maler)