(ANSA) - MOSCOW - Ukraine is aware that ''we owe Russia $ 3
billion''. This was stated today by Ukraine's Finance Minister
Natalie Jaresko. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had
defined the $ 3 billion in Ukrainian government bonds purchased
by Russia in 2013 ''a kickback'' to keep the country within
Moscow's sphere of influence and away from the EU. This
statement has angered Moscow, which urged Ukraine to clarify
whether it is still willing to fullfill its obligations. This
amount of money is the first tranche of a $ 15 billion Russian
loan aiming to support the former President Viktor Yanukovich,
after his turnaround on the association agreement with the EU
that had sparked the Maidan protests: a sum which Russia wants
to get back by the end of this year. On May 19, the Ukrainian
parliament passed a law that gives government power to
establish, ''if necessary'', a moratorium on the payment of
foreign debt ''to private creditors'', which include even the $
3 billion loan. (ANSA).
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