KIEV, Oct. 20 – Russia's demand to recognize Ukraine's $3 billion debt as sovereign and not commercial announced by Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov as a preliminary condition for the negotiations between the sides to settle this dispute show that Russia is not ready to the negotiations, Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk said.

"As for statements of the finance minister [of Russia], in general it shows that Russia is not ready to the negotiations: they put forward additional conditions. It is their right [to do so]," Danyliuk said on Channel 5 TV late on Wednesday.