Joe Biden Leaked Call Transcript with Petro Poroshenko

Petro Poroshenko: (00:00) Yesterday, I met with the general prosecutor, Shokin. Joe Biden: (00:04) Yes. Petro Poroshenko: (00:04) And despite of the fact that we didn't have any corruption charges, we don't have any information about him doing something wrong, I especially asked him ... No, it was the day before yesterday. I especially asked him to resign in his position as a state person, and despite of the fact that he has support in the public, and as a finish of my meeting with him, he promised me to give me the statement of his resignation, and one hour ago he bring me the written statement of his resignation. Joe Biden: (01:06) Great. Petro Poroshenko: (01:10) This is my second step for keeping my promises. Joe Biden: (01:15) I agree. Speaker 4: (01:17) [inaudible 00:01:17] Poroshenko? Petro Poroshenko: (01:17) Yes? Speaker 4: (01:21) One moment for Vice President Biden. Speaker 4: (01:31) Introducing President Poroshenko. Joe Biden: (01:35) Hey, Mr. President. Joe Biden. How are you? Petro Poroshenko: (01:38) Very well indeed. All the time when I hear your voice- Joe Biden: (01:41) Good. Petro Poroshenko: (01:42) It's a great pleasure for me. Joe Biden: (01:45) Well, I'm on Air Force Two, and I think we're going to stay connected. We just took off and I'm hoping this connection with stay open ... Tell me that there is a new government, and a new Prosecutor General. I am prepared to do a public signing of the commitment for the billion dollars. Again, I'm not suggesting that's what you want or don't want, I'm just suggesting that's what we're prepared to do, and again, it wouldn't be finalized until the IMF pieces are written. Petro Poroshenko: (02:28) Extremely strong motivation. One of the possible candidates was leader of my fraction, Lutsenko, who is the public figure. If you think that the political motivated figure would be not very good, from your point of view, I recall this proposal and I do not propose, because nobody knows that I want to propose Lutsenko. In this situation I take all the political motivated figures out from this process. Joe Biden: (02:57) All right. Well, look, let me, when you and I finish speaking let me huddle with my team, talk over what you and I just talked about. I agree with you, there is a sense of urgency here. Joe Biden: (03:15) Hey, Mr. President. Joe Biden. How are you? Petro Poroshenko: (03:18) Very well indeed, as usual when I hear your voice. Thank you very much. Joe Biden: (03:23) Well, you are doing very well. Congratulations on getting the new prosecutor general. I know there's a lot more of that that has to be done, but I really, I really think that's good, and I understand your working with the Rada in the coming days on a number of additional laws to secure the IMF, but congratulations on installing the new prosecutor general. It's going to be critical for him to work quickly to repair the damage Shokin did, and I'm a man of my word, and now that the new prosecutor general is in place we're ready to move forward in signing that new one billion dollar loan guarantee. I don't know how you want to go about that? I'm not going to be able to get to Kiev anytime soon, I mean, in the next month or so, and I don't know whether you could either sign it with our ambassador, or if you came here we could sign it, or if you want, we're inviting Groysman here later, I'm going to be talking to him later this morning, not for that purpose, we're inviting him to Washington, and so it's, I'll leave it up to you as to how you want that done and when you want it done. Petro Poroshenko: (04:40) First of all, thank you very much indeed for these words of support. Believe me that it was a very tough challenge, and a very difficult job, and Mrs. Tymoshenko and Mr. Lyahsko fraction tried to break this, because we not only voted for the new prosecutor general, which we do in a very short period of time, within one day we changed the law. By the way, in this law we're presenting the new structure of the General Prosecutor Office, including the general inspection, as we agreed to do. Joe Biden: (05:22) Yes, that's brilliant. Petro Poroshenko: (05:22) And the second thing, I immediately invited Lutsenko and said that he should contact your embassy, and I would be very pleased if you will have a certain person who can come either from Washington or whatever. We have here, I don't remember his name, the Ukrainian origin American prosecutor. He is a little bit old. I sent to the, Jeffery his name, and he was ready to come and to be assistant and advisor. Joe Biden: (06:01) Got it. Petro Poroshenko: (06:01) He has very good experience in the American system, and he can be the person of trust with the new prosecution system. I think this is exactly the right time to do that, and if he's still ready to come and to cooperate from the very first step, from the very first meeting of the new prosecutor, that is exactly what I'm looking for. Joe Biden: (06:25) Well, let me get in contact with the Justice Department and pursue that. I'll get his name, and let me find out where that is, because it is in our interest obviously to provide professional assistance as quick as we can so this gets up and started in the right direction. So I will move on that as soon as we hangup. I'll put that in train and I'll get back to you as to what we, what I'm able to do. Petro Poroshenko: (06:52) Excellent. The second thing ... Thank you very much indeed, this is exactly what I'm looking for. The second thing is that I want to thank you that you gave me your word that immediately when we change legislation and I appoint the new prosecutor general, and it would be Yuriy Lutsenko was we agreed in our previous meeting in Washington, and when it happened we can have this loan guarantee, and thank you very much ...