IMF Meeting Exposes Deep Divisions Over Russia, AI, and Climate

The IMF's annual meeting in Bangkok on Saturday exposed deep political divisions among its 191 member states, with European delegations walking out during a speech by Russia's finance minister and the US failing to secure support for renaming AI as "super intelligence." European ministers and central bankers from the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the Baltics left the room when Russia's Anton Siluanov spoke, with Dutch Finance Minister Eelco Heinen also canceling a sideline meeting over sanctioned Russians' presence. The walkout was praised by Ukraine's central bank chief as a "deep and emotional moment," though ECB President Christine Lagarde notably remained seated. Saudi Arabia, chairing the committee, brokered a final communiqué that avoids naming specific wars but acknowledges conflicts' economic costs. The US pushed for "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence," but the Saudi chair compromised with "advanced intelligence technologies." Climate language was also contentious, though a French-Dutch-led coalition successfully preserved the IMF's ability to assess climate costs in country reviews, with African officials emphasizing extreme weather's acute impact on low-income nations.