Russia's sanctioned ex-central bank official takes up in-person IMF duties in Washington
Former Russian Deputy Central Bank Governor Ksenia Yudaeva, who is under U.S. sanctions, is working in person at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington, Russia's state news agency TASS reported on Feb. 11.
Yudaeva has moved to Washington after the U.S. Treasury Department, still under the Biden administration at the time, granted her permission to transition from remote to in-person duties as Russia's IMF executive director, Bloomberg reported in January, citing sources.
Yudaeva, sanctioned by the U.S. in April 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, previously served as an advisor to Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina.
In November 2024, Yudaeva was appointed to represent Russia and Syria at the IMF but was initially working remotely.
The IMF executive board is comprised of 25 directors who are elected by member countries or coalitions. While each director has voting power, influence is primarily determined by a nation's financial contributions to the organization.
Though the decision to allow Yudaeva to work in Washington was reportedly made by the Biden administration, the sanctioned Russian official began working in the U.S. amid President Donald Trump's outreach to Moscow to broker a peace deal in Ukraine.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
