Yellen to see Ukraine PM, avoid Russians at global meetings

The Russian invasion of Ukraine will take center stage at the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to meet with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during this week’s big meetings of global economic leaders in Washington — but she’ll be trying to avoid most contact with Russian officials who plan to attend some portions of the event virtually.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine — and how world powers should manage the spillover effects on economies, including food insecurity — will take center stage at the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

On Tuesday, Yellen will convene a panel of finance ministers, the international development banks and other institutions to talk about how they will use resources to address food insecurity.

This year’s meetings run through Friday, and include a mix of virtual and in-person events.

Russian finance officials are expected to attend several events virtually, according to a senior Treasury official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview plans for the meetings.

Yellen will participate if a Russian minister is there for a session or two, but will not attend every session, the official said, adding that the presence of Russian officials should not stop the work the U.S. needs to do with members of the Group of 20 — the world’s largest economies.

There are some sessions the secretary will attend – including the opening, which the Ukrainian finance minister also will attend. However, she won’t be participating in a number of the G20 sessions if the Russians are participants.