KIEV, Dec. 16 – U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden supports the decision by the Ukrainian side to turn over 15 prisoners from a list of representatives of various districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and hopes Russia and pro-Russia militants will react to the goodwill gesture.

"The VP expressed his support for the decision of Ukrainian officials to unilaterally free 15 individuals … with the hope Russia and pro-Russia militants will respond in kind … It is a gesture of goodwill and will give an impulse to the exchange of prisoners foreseen in the Minsk agreements," the U.S. White House said on Friday following talks between Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.