EBRD boss says 'big question' over its Russia lending freeze as Trump takes power

LONDON (Reuters) - The head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said on Tuesday it was a "big question" whether the bank's Russian lending freeze would change when Donald Trump takes over as president of the United States, the EBRD's largest shareholder.

EBRD chief Suma Chakrabarti told the Reuters Global Markets Forum that the bank's other big shareholders, particularly in Europe, were also likely to determine the future of the freeze which has been in place since mid-2014.

"It's a big question whether the political change in the U.S. will lead to a change in the shareholder guidance," Chakrabarti said, adding it was also likely to take time to see what the Trump administration's view would be.

"From my viewpoint, such big decisions, such as the guidance to give on this issue, is best done by consensus amongst the shareholders."

(Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)