Russia will give Kyrgyzstan a $20 mln grant...

Large-scale anti-government protests swept Kyrgyzstan from April 6-7, claiming the lives of 82 people and leading to the overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

The self-declared interim government urgently needs funds and fuel to normalize conditions in the impoverished Central Asian republic.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia could increase financial aid to Kyrgyzstan if necessary.

"We presume that the situation [in Kyrgyzstan] will normalize. But considering the complexity of the situation, we can increase our aid if necessary," Putin said.

The Russian premier instructed the government to prepare corresponding resolutions to provide assistance to Kyrgyzstan by the end of this week.

Putin said that according to the interim government, Kyrgyzstan"s coffers were empty because the previous leadership embezzled all the country"s funds.

"This, of course, is not an issue for us to judge. But considering that we have always

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