The International Monetary Fund is proposing a $1 trillion expansion of its lending resources to safeguard the global economy against any worsening of Europe’s debt crisis, according to an official at a Group of 20 nation. The Washington-based lender is pushing China, Brazil, Russia, India, Japan and oil-exporting nations to be the top contributors, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private. The fund wants the agreement struck at the Feb. 25-26 meeting of G-20 finance ministers and central bankers in Mexico City, the official said. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said yesterday her staff are studying options to increase the fund’s war-chest beyond the current $385 billion. While euro-region nations have already pledged to contribute 150 billion euros ($192 billion), the U.S. has said it has no plans to make new bilateral loans and G-20 leaders ended last year at odds over the issue. “The biggest challenge is to respond to the crisis in an adequate manner and many executive directors stressed the necessity and urgency of collective efforts to contain the debt crisis in the euro area and protect economies around the world,� Lagarde said yesterday in an e-mailed statement following a discussion among her institution’s board of directors. The matter is likely to be discussed this week when G-20 deputy finance chiefs are scheduled to meet in Mexico. To contact the reporters on this story: Simon Kennedy in London at skennedy4@bloomberg.net; Toru Fujioka in Tokyo at tfujioka1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Craig Stirling at cstirling1@bloomberg.net

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