- The United Kingdom announced a ban on Russian diamond imports to the country in the latest sanctions to oppose the invasion of Ukraine.
- UK Prime Minister said that the UK must show “violence and coercion do not reap rewards” ahead of the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
- So far, the UK has targeted more than 1,500 individuals and entities and frozen more than £ 18 billion in assets under the sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- The United States and its other G7 allies also plan to roll out new sanctions against Moscow. . New US sanctions at G7 will target Russian ‘war machine’.
- Last year, the UK, US, Canada, and Japan banned imports of Russian gold in an effort to hit the country’s ability to fund the war in Ukraine.
- The G7 countries are poised to use the summit to announce tightened sanctions on Russia and debate strategy on a more than year-long conflict that shows no sign of easing.
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to announce a ban on Russian diamonds and imports of metals from Russia including copper, aluminium and nickel in support for Ukraine, his government said in a statement. Imports of Russian-origin copper, aluminium, and nickel will be blocked, under legislation to be introduced later this year. This comes as Russia recently increased the frequency of its missile attacks on Ukraine, while the latter appears to be shooting down more Russian missiles. According to a media report, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the UK must show “violence and coercion do not reap rewards” ahead of the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
The UK government stated that it was also planning to target 86 people and companies connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin which includes people who are “actively undermining the impact of existing sanctions”, the report mentioned. So far, the UK has targeted more than 1,500 individuals and entities and frozen more than £ 18 billion in assets under the sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The United States and its other G7 allies also plan to roll out new sanctions against Moscow. News agency reported a senior US administration official as saying that 70 more entities from Russia and “other countries” would be placed on a US blacklist. New US sanctions at G7 will target Russian ‘war machine’, News agency reported the US as saying. The G7 is assessing how it can collectively choke Russia’s trade in diamonds — including high-tech methods of tracing.
Last year, the UK, US, Canada, and Japan banned imports of Russian gold in an effort to hit the country’s ability to fund the war in Ukraine. The US and the EU announced similar sanctions earlier as US President Joe Biden set out plans to ban Russian diamonds, seafood, and vodka last year.
Britain promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy long-range attack drones when he visited the country as part of a European tour aimed at securing new weapons for a counteroffensive against Russia. Leaders of advanced democracies Japan, the United States, Germany, Britain, France, Canada and Italy start their Group of Seven (G7) summit on Friday in Hiroshima.
The G7 countries are poised to use the summit to announce tightened sanctions on Russia and debate strategy on a more than year-long conflict that shows no sign of easing.
(With inputs from agencies)
