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M. Continuo

Russia to adopt tough position if Ukraine defaults: PM Medvedev


    MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia would adopt a tough position if Ukraine decided not to pay off debts owed by its previous government, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview broadcast by Russian TV on Saturday.

    "If it is actually formulated in this way this would undoubtedly be a default of Ukraine ... We would adopt as tough a position as possible in this case and defend our national interests," Medvedev told the Vesti on Saturday programme on state TV channel Rossiya.

    Medvedev also said his government had an interest in seeing a predictable rate for the rouble, but he defended the central bank's policy of allowing the rouble to float, saying it was "optimal" to achieve a balance in the forex market between supply and demand.

    (Reporting by Jason Bush; Editing by David Holmes)