The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has indefinitely postponed its mission to Russia, which was set to participate in consultations with the country. This development comes amid growing concerns from several European Union member states about the IMF’s plans to re-engage with Russia for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
IMF’s attempt to resume cooperation with Russia signaled a dangerous possibility of normalizing relations with Russia despite its unrepented war crimes committed during the invasion of Ukraine and its openly declared threats against Europe and NATO.
Alexei Mozhin, Russia’s executive director at the IMF, reported that the mission was delayed due to “technical unpreparedness,” though he emphasized that Russia remains ready to receive the delegation, according to Russian state-owned news agency TASS.
This postponement follows recent outrage surrounding IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva’s decision to resume annual economic reviews with Moscow. On 13 September, several EU countries, including France, Belgium, Poland, Baltic and Nordic nations, expressed surprise and concern over the IMF’s plan to restart these reviews.
The objecting countries viewed this move as potentially offering economic assistance to Vladimir Putin’s regime and lending it a semblance of legitimacy at a time when the EU and US are striving to isolate Russia internationally. There are fears that such a mission could be exploited by Moscow for propaganda purposes, suggesting a weakening of its international isolation.
Finance ministers from Nordic, Baltic, and Polish countries have reportedly sent a letter to Georgieva, voicing their apprehensions about a process they believe leads to normalizing relations with Moscow.
The IMF had previously stated that it was resuming annual reviews of Russia’s economy due to a “more stable” economic situation in the region. The fund emphasized that these Article IV consultations are an “institutional obligation” carried out in the interest of all members, not an optional activity.
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