Russian lawmakers may take pay cut to weather crisis

Russia's Speaker of the State Duma Sergei Naryshkin pauses before the opening session at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Autumn meeting in Geneva October 3, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's lawmakers should take a pay cut to help Moscow through a financial crisis, the speaker of parliament said on Tuesday, appealing to their patriotism as Western sanctions over Ukraine drain the economy.

Sergei Naryshkin, speaker of the State Duma, said he had asked all four groups in the lower house of parliament to discuss the money-saving initiative, and would take it to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin if they agreed.