ISTANBUL
Russia has said crisis-hit Greece -- currently wrangling with European leaders and institutions -- has made no requests for help from Moscow.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting in Istanbul on Tuesday, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told reporters: "We have not received any requests from Greece."
Reports say Athens is seeking 10 billion euro ($11 billion) in funding ahead of an anticipated debt repayment. Major European countries are standing firm against demands from the Greek side to reshape its huge 315-billion-euro debt.
However, Russia has been experiencing its own financial crisis, with the ruble tumbling to record lows, as Siluanov acknowledged: “Well, of course, the situation in Russia and its financial capacity is lower than it was three-to-five years ago.”
Newly-elected, anti-austerity Greek leader Alexis Tsipras continued to defy European leaders' insistence on currency policies during a parliamentary speech Monday following a round of talks with European fiscal chiefs.
