The IMF's Executive Board has suspended the ceremonial role of "Dean" held by Russian Representative Aleksei Mozhin following pressure from top shareholders of the multilateral lender including the U.S., UK and Canada.

"The Executive Board has decided to temporarily suspend the role of Dean of the Executive Board given Russia's role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its potential impact on the Executive Director for Russia's ability to effectively carry out this task," an IMF spokesman said in a statement.

The role of dean which Mozhin has held since 2015 is a largely honorary title bestowed on the longest-serving member and carries no official responsibilities or authority. Occasionally the dean deputizes for the executive director, who chairs and is responsible for calling meetings and facilitating debates.

But in the aftermath of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, several IMF members found it unacceptable for Mozhin to perform all ceremonial duties on behalf of the Board. 

Due to the full suspension of the position, the Board will not announce a successor. The question of whether to end the suspension will be revisited before the end of the year, a person familiar with the situation said.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said last week the multilateral lender's Moscow office was “not operational”. She also said the IMF "has no program relationship with Russia at this time" and that it was "highly unlikely" that the country represented its 17 billion Special Drawing Rights as the actual money newly minted.

Asked whether Russia's membership in the fund could be suspended, Georgieva said the country was still fulfilling its obligations, which are based on economic and financial criteria, and as such had not breached the lender's agreement.

(With input from agencies)