Russia Will Demand Payment of Ukraine Yanukovich Government Debt
23 de mayo de 2015, 12:17Moscow, May 23 (Prensa Latina) Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, today confirmed the purpose of demanding Ukraine to pay three billion dollars given to the government of Viktor Yanukovich, separated from power through a coup.
Medvedev told the Vesti program that with only a recent resolution adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian unicameral parliament) to recommend the Government to avoid the payment of external debt, Russia is able to demand advance payments.
Ukraine should fulfill its obligations also in the timely payment of interest on its debt, said the head of the Russian executive, quoted by Russia Today (RT).
The Rada and the Cabinet of Ukraine launched contradictory statements, because although presented a document addressed to suspend payments to private creditors, the money was actually provided by Russian banks, including state ones, he said.
Therefore, it is concern of our cabinet the repayment of the amount, amid hints of Ukrainian executive to refrain from returning loans made to Yanukovich team, ousted in February 2014.
The deadline to repay borrowed money to Ukraine is later this year, but the resolution of the Verkhovna Rada leads to demand disbursements in advance, he said.
If Kyiv refuses to meet its obligations of debt service, this means that faces a default (inability to pay), with negative consequences for their talks with the International Monetary Fund, Medvedev estimated.
Let’s assume a strong position in this case and defend our national interests, including through the courts, he said.
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, confirmed that Ukraine asked to extend discounts for gas tariff by eliminating export tariffs, a facility that expires on 30 June.
They want such sales to continue until later this year, Novak said, quoted by Interfax.
According to the executive director of the consortium Gazprom, Alexei Miller, his own company requested in March the Government extend the discount for a tripartite meeting in Brussels, but Kyiv showed no interest at that time, he said.
Russian-Ukrainian relations remain tense, after right-wing forces perpetrated a coup in Kyiv in February 2014 with the support of neo-fascist paramilitaries.
Moscow refused to recognize the coup leaders and supported the separation of Crimea from Ukraine, through a referendum, and his return to the Russian Federation, as well as the cause of the insurgent population in the Ukrainian southeast.
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