Russia willing to settle Ukraine's $3 billion debt out of court

MOSCOW, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Russia is willing to settle the question of $3 billion in Ukrainian debt out of court, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Monday.

Moscow filed a lawsuit in February in London's High Court after Kiev defaulted on a Eurobond loan granted by Russia in 2013 while Ukraine was led by pro-Russian, and since deposed, President Viktor Yanukovych.

The hearing in London was scheduled for January 2017 but Monday Siluanov said, "We're prepared for prejudicial agreements on the debt. Yes, it really is in our plans to meet with the Ukrainian finance minister in Washington with the mediation of the Federal Republic of Germany."

Siluanov suggested a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksandr Danylyuk, brokered by Germany, at the International Monetary Fund conference in Washington in October.

He added that Russia could consider settling out of court if Ukrainian proposals "differ substantially from those proposals to which the commercial creditors consented. We won't be able to come to an agreement if Ukraine adopts the very same position. If this continues in the same vein as at our previous meetings, our talks will not be constructive at all."