Medvedev: Ukraine must pay debts

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow is not interested in Ukraine defaulting, but Russia has the right to demand that Kyiv vigorously fulfill its debt obligations.

"Speaking frankly, we don't want a Ukrainian default, complications or the plight of the Ukrainian economy. The opposite - we need a live partner," Medvedev said at the sixth Gaidar Forum in Moscow on Wednesday.

"But debts need to be paid," the prime minister said.

This concerns both state and retail debt, including bank loans.

"That's why it's necessary to make a decision on this soon," Medvedev added.