Speaking before Ukraine's parliament on Thursday, Yatsenyuk suggested that Russia should accept Kiev's conditions on the restructuring of its $3 billion sovereign debt, warning that if Russia does not accept conditions proposed by Kiev, it won't pay anything and will take Russia to court.
"The question of the debt amounting to $3 billion, which Russia must restructure and partially write off, has not been resolved. [By] October 29, we propose that Russia decide for themselves: do they want to accept the conditions that we proposed to all other creditors, or do they believe that they are unique? If they believe that they are unique, we are ready for a legal case with Russia," Yatsenyuk warned.
Noting that Ukraine is prepared for a "legal war" with Russia, the prime minister then went on to suggest that "we will demand from Russia more than one trillion dollars over Crimea and Donbass. We are ready to launch a lawsuit on this matter."
Commenting on Yatsenyuk's statements, Kremlin press spokesman Dmitri Peskov voiced his surprise over the $1 trillion figure. "Crimea is Russian territory. Donbass is Ukrainian territory. Where did the figure of $1 trillion come from? It's not clear," he noted.
The Ukrainian cabinet's press service has since clarified that the PM meant to say "one trillion hryvnia," not dollars. A trillion hryvnia is equivalent to about $46 billion US.
Тем временем в кабмине Украины. ONE TRILLION DOLLARS pic.twitter.com/m8WLbYOxvP
— Все Плохо (@sranysovok) 15 октября 2015
"Meanwhile, in Ukraine's cabinet of ministers."
Peskov added that the case has absolutely no merit, and that Moscow's position on Ukraine's debt repayment has not changed: Kiev must repay its debts in full, and in a timely manner.
Last week, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov noted that Russia and Ukraine could not come to an agreement on the restructuring of Ukraine's $3 billion sovereign debt, noting that Russia would demand the full repayment of Ukraine's Eurobonds by December.
Three quarters of Ukraine's creditors had earlier agreed to write off $3 billion from Ukraine's $70.5 billion debt, and to restructure another $8.5 billion.
