(Detroit, MI) -- General Motors will not be selling off its Opel nameplate in Europe.

A Russian-backed group led by a Canadian company had been negotiating for months with GM to purchase Opel.

GM's board made the decision Tuesday to keep Opel.

The European Union asked the automaker if it would have agreed to unload the brand if it knew ahead of time government aid from Germany would have been provided to any buyer.

Germany promised to give the new owners of Opel four-point-five-billion euros in aid.

GM has not made an official announcement on keeping Opel.

　

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