Numerous IMF delegates left the meeting room of the International Monetary and Financial Committee after Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov began speaking in Russian.

Numerous delegates to the IMF’s International Monetary and Financial Committee left the meeting room in Bangkok on Saturday after Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov began addressing participants in Russian. According to three sources cited by Reuters, nearly 12 representatives left the room, including members of several European delegations.

Those who left included officials from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. A European diplomat said the war in Ukraine is “existential” for Europe and that relations with Russia cannot be normalized.

Tensions within the IMF and the World Bank have persisted since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. The differences prevented the adoption of consensus statements in subsequent years and were not overcome at the meetings in Bangkok.

Siluanov’s participation in international meetings also prompted reactions in Germany, which opposed Russia’s reintegration into the global arena. The United States, however, supports maintaining dialogue with Moscow, arguing that resolving conflicts is impossible without discussions.