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Russia’s War Lifts Default Risk for Distressed Economies

  • Distressed dollar debt from EMs surpasses $500 billion
  • Credit default insurance rises to highest since May 2020
Updated on

Debt markets in some of the world’s most vulnerable nations are flashing warning signals as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heaps extra stress on fragile economies.

Worries over whether Russia would deliver on its interest payments this month are leading investors to consider who else is at risk of failing to pay. That’s pushed up the cost of insuring against default in emerging-market nations to the highest since the pandemic turmoil of 2020.