IMF Postpones Planned Consultation Mission to Russia Indefinitely

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has indefinitely postponed its scheduled consultation mission with Russia due to technical issues, as reported by the TASS news agency on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

Alexei Mozhin, Russia’s representative at the IMF, stated that the Fund's management had informed both the Russian side and the board of directors about the postponement.

"The technical unpreparedness of the mission to conduct consultations was mentioned as the reason for postponing the mission," Mozhin said.

The IMF has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.

The planned mission faced opposition from Ukraine and its Western allies, who argued that it would imply a normalization of relations with Russia despite its invasion and occupation of large areas of Ukrainian territory.

European Countries Protest IMF's Plans

On September 13, nine European countries protested against the IMF’s plans to resume missions to Russia.

They argued that engaging with Russia would damage the Fund's reputation, as it would suggest a willingness to resume dialogue with a country that has invaded another.

The IMF had intended to begin online consultations with Russia on Monday, followed by a visit from an IMF delegation to Moscow for meetings with Russian officials.

This would have marked the first official IMF mission to Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Mozhin noted that the Russian side was aware of the objections from several European countries regarding the resumption of cooperation between the IMF and Russia.

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Although Russia had not specifically requested a mission, it had prepared to receive one as part of its obligations under IMF rules.

The IMF's last annual mission to Russia took place in November 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic and prior to the start of Russia's war in Ukraine. There have been no IMF missions to Russia since the invasion began.