Greece looks to Russia as deal with Europe stumbles
“This is an attempt to ratchet up the pressure on the rest of the eurozone to make concessions to Greece,” said Simon Tilford, the deputy director of the Centre for European Reform in London.
If so, he added, it is a gamble that could backfire. “Flirting with Russia is guaranteed to antagonize the rest of the eurozone,” Mr. Tilford said. “It will make it harder for those in Germany who were arguing for a more conciliatory line toward Greece to keep it.”
...”Moscow could provide a little bit of funding to tide over the Greeks,” Mr. Tilford said. “But it is not in a position to provide the kind of money that Greece would need to stay in the eurozone.”