Ukraine's central bank chief welcomes walkout during Russian remarks at IMF

Ukraine's top ​central banker, Andriy Pyshnyi, said ​he was surprised by ‌the large number ​of finance officials who left the room when Russia's finance minister addressed the IMF's ‌steering committee on Saturday, calling it a "deep and emotional moment".

Pyshnyi, speaking through an interpreter, said that he routinely left the room when Russian officials ‌spoke at international events, and did the same during Saturday's ‌meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee, only to see a large number of other central bankers join him. "I was impressed by the numbers," Pyshnyi told ⁠Reuters ​in an interview on ⁠the sidelines of the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in ⁠Bangkok.

"It was a really deep and emotional moment for me." Nearly half the ​delegates at the meeting left during comments by Russian Finance ⁠Minister Anton Siluanov, who spoke in Russian, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said.

Pyshnyi said the ⁠walkout ​sent an important signal to Russia and its backers. "This unprovoked aggression has to be stopped," he said.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine ⁠in February 2022 has roiled the IMFC, preventing it from reaching consensus ⁠statements in ⁠the years since. There were deep divisions again at this week's meetings as fresh tensions flared between the ‌US and ‌Ukraine.