European delegates walk out on Russian minister at IMF meeting in Bangkok

European delegates walked out of an International Monetary Fund meeting in Bangkok on Saturday as Russian Finance Minister Anton Silouanov began to speak, according to three sources present. Around ten delegates, including those from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the Baltic states, left the room. A European diplomat said the war in Ukraine is existential for Europe and that relations with Russia cannot be normalized. The walkout follows Germany's warning against efforts to reintegrate Russia into international institutions after Silouanov attended a G20 meeting in North Carolina in late August. Tensions with the United States are rising, as German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil accused Washington of trying to bring Russia back onto the international stage. EU leaders voiced support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after US President Donald Trump agreed to allow Russian diesel exports and lifted several sanctions.