Almunia-outlook bleak,EU can pressure Russia on gas

BRATISLAVA, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The European Union has diplomatic leverage to pressure Moscow in Russia's dispute with Ukraine over natural gas, the bloc's commissioner for monetary affairs said on Thursday in the Slovak capital. European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Joaquin Almunia said the EU's economic outlook is rather bleak for 2009, and any attempts to boost the economy with fiscal stimulus should not threaten long-term stability. He added monetary policy alone would not be enough to lift the economy out of crisis, but the turmoil should not be an excuse to let up on the reform agenda.