The US government shutdown could threaten not only the United States but also the global economy if it lasts, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi said Wednesday.

 

The US shutdown "is a risk if it is protracted... it would be a risk not only for the US, but also the world economy," Draghi told a news conference.

 

"But we don't have that impression at the moment," he added.

 

In Washington, Republicans and Democrats -- already gridlocked over a budget bill -- have just over two weeks to strike a separate deal on raising the country's debt ceiling and avoiding a painful default.

 

A day after the US government shut down for the first time for 17 years, lawmakers remain at loggerheads over the budget, with Democrats refusing to give in to Republican demands for cuts in President Barack Obama's flagship health law.

 

However, investors for now seem unruffled by the crisis, which has seen about 800,000 federal workers sent home and several agencies closed or on skeleton staffing.