European bankers refuse to share table with Russian official at IMF reception in Bangkok

Andriy Pyshnyy, governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, told Interfax-Ukraine that several European officials had demanded changes to the seating plan or decided not to attend after learning they would be seated alongside Russia's Alexei Overchuk.

Overchuk, who heads the Russian delegation, is subject to sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom and several other countries over Russia's war against Ukraine.

According to Pyshnyy, the European officials included representatives of the central banks of France, Germany, Britain and Croatia.

The original seating plan for the reception, which was expected to host more than 400 delegates, would also have placed senior international financial officials at the same table, including IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde.

After organizers changed the seating arrangements, Overchuk did not attend, Pyshnyy said.

"I was pleased to learn that many heads of European central banks, when they discovered they would be sitting at the same table as the Russians, demanded changes to the approved seating plan or decided not to participate in the reception," he told Interfax-Ukraine.

Pyshnyy described the incident as a small but important diplomatic victory for Ukraine.

He said he had also been invited to the reception but refused to attend an event where Russian representatives would be present, citing Moscow's continued attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure.

The traditional group photograph at this year's meetings was also canceled following objections to Russian participation, according to Pyshnyy.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, who is also under Western sanctions, attended the meetings in Bangkok. His earlier participation in a G20 finance ministers' gathering in the United States had similarly prompted objections from European delegations.