EU states slam IMF for resuming work in Russia – Politico

A number of EU nations have confronted the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the agency’s decision to restart trips to Russia, Politico reported on Friday, citing a letter the countries allegedly wrote to the fund’s chief Kristalina Georgieva.

Earlier this month, the IMF announced plans to conduct an annual review of Russia’s economy. In order to do that, the agency will start virtual discussions with Russian authorities on economic issues on September 16, and send its staff to the country for in-person consultations shortly after that.

The announcement attracted attention from Kiev’s Western backers, as this would be the first time the US-based institution engaged with Russia since the start of the Ukraine conflict. In a letter reportedly seen by Politico, the finance ministers of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia,…