Ukraine says ready for court battle with Russia over $3 billion bond

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko listens during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York, September 28, 2015. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine is ready to defend itself against a lawsuit brought by Russia in relation to a $3 billion (2.08 billion pound) Eurobond that Moscow insists Kiev must repay, the Ukrainian Finance Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Ukraine included the two-year bond in the commercial debt it planned to restructure to shore up its war-torn economy, but Russia, which lent the money, has refused to participate and on Wednesday filed a lawsuit in London.