11:38 20.10.2016

Russian finance minister's statements show Russia not ready for debt talks

2 min read
Russian finance minister's statements show Russia not ready for debt talks

A Russia's demand to recognize Ukraine's $3 billion debt as sovereign and not commercial announced by Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov as a preliminary condition for the negotiations between the sides to settle this dispute show that Russia is not ready to the negotiations, Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk has said.

"As for statements of the finance minister [of Russia], in general it shows that Russia is not ready to the negotiations: they put forward additional conditions. It is their right [to do so]," Danyliuk said on Channel 5 TV late on Wednesday.

Danyliuk recalled that Ukraine has a liability under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program to hold consultations on the possibility of settling this debt, and Ukraine will stick to its liability.

He said that the issue was not to be discussed at a meeting of Normandy Four leaders.

"This is discussed between the finance ministries of the two countries," he said.

Asked if there is a possibility of declaring this debt a bribe given to disgraced former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych for the refusal to sign the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement and not to pay the debt, Danyliuk said that this is not simply a possibility, this is Ukraine's clear position in court.

"We are proving it. We focus on defending our position in court," he said.

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