Ukraine said Monday that it had struck a preliminary deal with a group of international private creditors to restructure more than $20 billion of the debt it owes them, a step that would save the war-torn country billions and preserve funds to support its battered armed forces.
The creditors agreed to write off more than a third of the nominal value of the government bonds they hold, which would allow Ukraine to save $11.4 billion over the next three years, the Ukrainian government said.
The deal has been approved by the International Monetary Fund, which has made its financial assistance to Ukraine conditional on the country’s ability to reduce its debt.
Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s prime minister, said in a statement that the deal “allows us to free up resources for our defense, social spending and reconstruction.”The deal was signed with the largest group of creditors, representing about a quarter of private bondholders.
Two-thirds of all bondholders must approve the agreement for it to take effect.
Persons:
Denys Shmyhal, Olena Bilan
Organizations:
International Monetary Fund, Dragon
Locations:
Ukraine, Kyiv