Several delegates walked out of a meeting of the International Monetary Fund’s steering committee in Bangkok on Saturday as Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov began speaking in Russian, highlighting continuing divisions over Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Three sources familiar with the meeting told Reuters that representatives from several countries left the room during Siluanov’s address at the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank.
One source said the walkout included delegations from European Union member states, while another official estimated that nearly a dozen delegates departed.
Representatives from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were among those who left, the official said.
The protest reflects persistent opposition to Russia’s participation in international financial forums since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The war has repeatedly prevented the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) from reaching consensus on joint statements, exposing disagreements among member countries over how to respond to Moscow’s actions.
A European diplomat said the conflict remained a fundamental security issue for Europe and warned against treating relations with Russia as normal while the war continued.
Russia’s return to international forums sparks tensions
The incident came amid renewed debate over Russia’s participation in international economic discussions, following Siluanov’s appearance at a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors.
Germany warned on Thursday against attempts to restore Russia’s standing on the international stage after the Russian minister attended the G20 gathering.
His appearance followed a meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, where the United States hosted Siluanov for his first in-person G20 engagement since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Washington, which currently leads the G20, defended Russia’s participation despite objections from European countries.
US Treasury Undersecretary Erin Browne told Reuters that direct engagement was necessary to resolve international crises, arguing that dialogue between opposing sides was essential to finding solutions to conflicts.
The contrasting positions expose a divide between European governments that view engagement with Moscow as unacceptable under current circumstances and the US administration’s argument that communication is necessary for negotiations.
Ukraine war deepens diplomatic divisions
The dispute unfolded as Ukraine faced renewed uncertainty over military and diplomatic support from its Western allies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized US President Donald Trump’s diesel agreement with Russia while addressing a European Union summit on Friday. He also welcomed the prospect of European countries taking a greater role in efforts to negotiate an end to the war.
EU leaders expressed support for Zelenskyy after Trump again criticized Ukraine, describing its attacks on Russian oil refineries as a disgrace.
The European gathering came at a difficult time for Kyiv, with Russian missile and drone attacks continuing against Ukrainian cities and concerns mounting over the possibility of reduced US intelligence-sharing and weapons assistance.
The disagreement over Siluanov’s appearance at the IMF meeting illustrates how the war continues to complicate cooperation within international institutions, even as governments face wider economic challenges involving energy prices, debt and global financial stability.
The IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok brought finance officials together to discuss those pressures, but Russia’s participation once again exposed the political divisions surrounding the conflict and the question of how far international engagement with Moscow should continue.
