Finance leaders walk out as Russian minister addresses IMF meeting

Summary

Finance leaders, including Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, walked out of an IMF meeting in Bangkok on Saturday as Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov addressed the group in Russian, according to The Guardian. The South China Morning Post reports that many delegates to the IMF’s steering committee left during Siluanov’s address, citing three sources familiar with the matter.

Timeline

1. South China Morning Post

   17 Oct 2026, 07:51 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that many delegates to the IMF’s steering committee walked out when Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov addressed the group in Russian, citing three sources familiar with the matter.

2. The Guardian

   17 Oct 2026, 12:15 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey joined finance leaders from France, Germany and several Scandinavian and Baltic countries in leaving the Bangkok session as Siluanov addressed the group in Russian.