No factual grounds for Russia's default - Peskov

MOSCOW. March 11 (Interfax) - Russia has a sufficient safety margin to repay its foreign debt in rubles, and there are no grounds for a default, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

He thus commented on a statement by International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, who said Russia's default was possible because of the sanctions.

"You and I have heard what the heads of our financial agencies, the Finance Ministry and others have said about the readiness and the existence of a sufficient safety margin for paying all foreign debts in rubles. Factually, there are no grounds for a default unless they are created and pushed upon us artificially," Peskov said.