Ukraine urges IMF to cancel mission to Russia

Ukraine has called on the International Monetary Fund to cease all cooperation with Russia following reports that the organization plans to send a mission to the aggressor country, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

"Ukraine is concerned by reports that the International Monetary Fund is intending to resume cooperation with Russia and send a mission to Moscow," the MFA comment states.

The diplomatic agency added that it would be "absurd" for the UN's main financial institution to legitimize the Russian regime, which has effectively destroyed the very foundations of the organization's Charter by launching the largest aggressive war in Europe since World War II and committing atrocities against Ukrainians.

Consequently, Ukraine urges the IMF to halt all cooperation with Russia and remain committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

"We urge all key stakeholders, member states, and IMF management to further isolate the aggressor state and not resume dialogue while Russia continues to kill civilians and children and destroy not only Ukraine but also international rules and principles as such," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote.

Earlier, on September 3, the IMF's Russian executive director Aleksei Mozhin told Reuters that the organization would send an official mission to Moscow, to be led by Argentinian Jacques Miniane.

The last IMF mission to Russia was in 2019, before the COVID pandemic, with no subsequent missions in 2022-2023 due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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