Like Catalonia doesn't owe Spain not declaring independence, I'd think.
So it's a question of power. As always?

If you are the one being owed, then you are on the other side of the equation and the situation is reversed.
This implies that there is a way to account for "what is owed", in which case it can be applied to any international relationship.

And "other side" implies that the parties have already been determined, but this is one of the things still under dispute.