Greek central banker Yannis Stournaras lobbed a political "bombshell" on Monday evening, saying the then leftist SYRIZA government had broached Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2015 over the prospect of printing new drachmas in Russia, as negotiations between European creditors and the Greek side near a final impasse.

Bank of Greece (BoG) Gov. Yannis Stournaras this week cited seven factors that he claims explain the intensity and duration of the Greek economic crisis over the entire ongoing second decade of the 21st century, speaking at a European Court of Auditors conference.

The Governor of the Bank of Greece, Yiannis Stournaras characterized the target for a primary surplus of 3.5% for this year as “unattainable”.