The dollar was poised to end January with its longest run of gains since it was floated in 1971, while European shares were set for their best monthly performance in three years, despite sagging slightly on Friday. The dollar, bolstered by expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve will be the first major central bank to raise interest rates, has gained nearly 5 percent against a basket of currencies this month. It paused on Friday at 94.752, ahead of U.S. GDP data due at 1330 GMT, which a Reuters poll tipped to show economic growth of 3.0 percent. But the currency stayed close to an 11-year high and was set to mark seven consecutive months of gains. European shares also took a breather on Friday but were headed for strong monthly gains in anticipation of hundreds of billions of euros being pumped into the euro zone.Russia surprised markets by cutting interest rates as fears of a Russian recession mount following a plunge in global oil prices and Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. The move put pressure on the rouble, which skidded as much as 4 percent against the dollar, and also bolstered expectations that Turkey will cut rates again next week, sending the lira to a new record low.U.S. shares looked set to open lower, after surging late on Thursday as an upturn in oil prices, stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs numbers and a rally in Apple and Boeing helped offset some disappointing earnings.Having opened higher, European stocks dipped as troubled Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena lost 6.5 percent after sources said a planned capital increase at the lender might be bigger than expected. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.2 percent at 1,470.40 points, but still up 7.4 percent in January - on track to post its best monthly performance in three years and outpacing Wall Street where the S&P 500 is down 1.8 percent since the start of the year.