EFE
Washington
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Saturday that the war in Ukraine will have a "severe impact" on the global economy and cautioned that countries with economic ties to Kyiv and Moscow are exposed to greater risks.
"The current war and the sanctions associated with it will have a severe impact on the global economy," the financial organization said in a statement.
The Fund explained that nations with economic ties to Russia and Ukraine face a "special risk" and could be exposed to shortages of goods, as well as disruptions in supply chains.
These countries are also hosting the largest number of refugees from Ukraine, the IMF said.
As a result of these pressures, Moldova has already requested an increase and certain changes to its debt program with the IMF, and Fund staff are currently discussing different options with Moldovan authorities, the statement detailed.
Following the start of the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian government requested emergency financial assistance from the IMF worth $1.4 billion, and, as detailed this Saturday, that issue will be evaluated "as early as next week" by the Fund's Board of Governors.
The institution's managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, assessed Ukraine's request and the potential economic impact of the war during a meeting on Friday.
After months of tensions, Russia invaded Ukraine ten days ago and began bombing major cities, causing more than 2,000 civilian deaths, according to provisional figures from the Ukrainian State Emergency Service, and the displacement of more than 1 million people, according to the UN Refugee Agency
