According to the publication, if the country needed to pay off its debts immediately, this would have been possible at the expense of deposits of government agencies in the Central Bank and commercial banks.
It is emphasized that sanctions and oil prices forced the government to "accumulate reserves for a rainy day and observe strict debt discipline."
According to Anton Pokatovich, BCS Premier's chief analyst, the lack of net debt reflects Russia's uniqueness among the markets of developing countries.
Earlier, the House of Representatives of the United States Congress approved an amendment to the draft defense budget for fiscal year 2020, which includes, inter alia, the imposition of sanctions on Russia's public debt.