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The European Union should consider the interests of European companies working in Russia when deciding on whether to impose sanctions on Moscow over its involvement in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Ukraine , President Vladimir Putin's top economic aide said on Saturday. The United States and European Union have already hit dozens of officials, lawmakers and companies close to Putin with sanctions and EU leaders are due to discuss next week further steps they could take against class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Russia if there are disruptions to Ukraine's presidential election on Sunday. "I hope very much that when making these decisions ... the dependence and interests of European companies that are working in Russia (will be considered)," Andrei Belousov told reporters on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. "These are European companies, which are working here, working for class="mandelbrot_refrag"&g

Western sanctions will galvanise class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Russia into using the rouble as a currency for international trade, the country's prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview published on Saturday. _0"> "Trading for roubles - this is a definite priority," Medvedev said. "This, in fact, should ultimately move the rouble from the cohort of freely convertible class="mandelbrot_refrag"> currencies into the ranks of reserve currencies." He was speaking in an interview recorded for the television programme "Vesti on Saturday with Sergey Brilev", shown on the Rossiya channel and published on the government's website. In recent weeks officials have said the government is considering making it obligatory for state-owned companies to receive payment for key exports in roubles, rather than in dollars as at present. EU leaders meet next week to discuss steps that could be taken to target broader se

Investors this week will be watching the results of elections that could deal a blow to political parties that are key to reform efforts in the European Union and could also fan instability in Ukraine. The bonds of some struggling class="mandelbrot_refrag"> euro zone governments sold off last week as investors worried about expected gains for anti-EU parties in European Parliament votes in Greece and Italy. In Greece, a strong showing by parties opposed to the terms of its EU-led bailout may hurt the fragile coalition government, potentially paving the way for a new national vote. In Italy, a poor result for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's party could undermine his drive for swift reforms, which he promised when he took power in a party coup earlier this year. The rise of anti-EU parties in northern Europe could make it harder for the European Union to deal quickly with any future resurgence of the class="mandelbrot_refrag"> euro zone crisis, analys

Greece's radical leftist Syriza rode a wave of anti-austerity anger to win the country's EU election but failed to deliver a knockout blow against Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's government, the official projection showed on Sunday. In his first electoral test since coming to power two years ago, voters punished Samaras for harsh wage and pension cuts imposed at the behest of EU/IMF lenders bankrolling class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Greece . It was the first time a radical leftist party had won at a national level in modern Greece, though Syriza fell short of a five percentage point victory margin seen as jeopardizing a government clinging to a two-seat majority in parliament. "Europeans are celebrating the defeat of the bailout and austerity in the country the European leadership turned into the guinea pig of the crisis," Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras said, reiterating a call for early elections. "Democracy and respect for democracy demands s

A special Michigan House committee on Wednesday approved a nearly $195 million state contribution for a key element of Detroit's plan to adjust its $18 billion of debt and exit the biggest municipal class="mandelbrot_refrag"> bankruptcy in U.S. history. Legislation appropriating the money from Michigan's rainy day fund was part of an 11-bill package the committee approved and sent to the full House for consideration. The mostly unanimous votes on the bills by the five-member bipartisan Committee on Detroit's Recovery and Michigan's Future marked the first by state lawmakers after Governor Rick Snyder included money for Detroit in the proposed budget he unveiled in February. The legislation, which also creates an oversight commission for Detroit, must still pass the Republican-controlled House and Senate. "We still have plenty of work to do," said Republican State Representative John Walsh, who chaired the committee. "Just because it mo

An attorney for Texas' leading power company, the bankrupt Energy Future Holdings, told a court hearing on Thursday that it will delay seeking court approval of a restructuring support agreement that lays a path out of Chapter 11. At the start of a two-day hearing on a request to move the class="mandelbrot_refrag"> bankruptcy case to Dallas from Wilmington, Delaware, Edward Sassower said Energy Future will postpone to June 30 from June 6 a hearing to approve its restructuring support agreement, known as an RSA. The agreement commits the company to meet certain milestones on its way to slash its $42 billion in debt. Creditors wanted more time to study the deal. "As a result of working to accommodate the unsecured creditors committee timing request ... we will adjourn the RSA assumption motion," Sassower, a partner in Kirkland & Ellis, said at the start of Thursday's hearing. The plan involves splitting off the subsidiary that owns the Luminant

The Michigan House of Representatives on Thursday passed an 11-bill package that includes nearly $195 million in state funds for Detroit's plan to adjust its debt and exit the biggest municipal class="mandelbrot_refrag"> bankruptcy in U.S. history. _0"> The legislation, which now heads to the Michigan Senate, also creates a state oversight commission for Detroit and requires the city to have a chief financial officer and a four-year financial plan. (Reporting By Karen Pierog ; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)