EN
31 October 2011 - 13:23 AMT

Russia may help EU by investing up to $10 billion through IMF

A Kremlin aide says Russia is willing to help the European Union deal with its debt crisis by investing up to $10 billion through the International Monetary Fund.

Arkady Dvorkovich, an economic adviser to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, said Monday, October 31, that Russia could make the money available to prop up the eurozone as part of its activities at the IMF, adding that "European stability is important" to Russia.

In remarks carried by Russian newswires, Dvorkovich didn't rule out providing direct aid to individual European countries but said Moscow hasn't been approached about it, The Associated Press reported.

Emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have said they would be willing to prop up the IMF and the eurozone. But they also have insisted on a bigger role at the IMF, a key global lender.