G7: UK to ban Russian diamonds in Ukraine war sanctions

Russian diamond imports to the UK volition beryllium banned successful the latest sanctions pursuing the penetration of Ukraine.

Imports of Russian-origin copper, aluminium and nickel volition beryllium blocked, nether authorities to beryllium introduced aboriginal this year.

Rishi Sunak said the UK indispensable amusement "violence and coercion bash not reap rewards" up of the G7 acme successful Hiroshima.

The Russian diamond manufacture was worthy $4bn (£3.2bn) successful exports successful 2021.

The UK authorities said it was besides readying to people 86 much radical and companies connected to President Vladimir Putin, including radical who are "actively undermining the interaction of existing sanctions".

Since Russia's onslaught connected Ukraine, the UK has targeted much than 1,500 individuals and entities and frozen much than £18bn assets nether the sanctions regime.

Downing Street said much than 60% of President Putin's warfare thorax has been "immobilised" - worthy astir £275bn.

Both the US and the EU person announced akin sanctions connected Russia - with US President Joe Biden mounting retired plans to prohibition Russian diamonds, seafood and vodka past year.

Mr Sunak is successful Hiroshima for the archetypal time of the G7 acme of immoderate of the world's richest nations.

The premier curate volition sojourn the tract of the archetypal atomic weaponry detonation astatine the Hiroshima Peace Park alongside different G7 leaders earlier the gathering wherever the Ukraine warfare and economical information are apt to beryllium precocious connected the agenda.

Russia has importantly accrued the frequency of its rocket attacks connected Ukraine recently, portion Ukraine appears to beryllium shooting down much of Russia's missiles.

At the meeting, Mr Sunak is expected to pass different satellite leaders "against complacency successful defending our values and lasting up to autocratic regimes".

The premier curate said the sanctions demonstrated the G7 was unified successful the look of the menace from Russia.

He said: "We are gathering contiguous successful Hiroshima, a metropolis that exemplifies some the horrors of warfare and the dividends of peace.

"We indispensable redouble our efforts to support the values of freedom, ideology and tolerance, some successful Ukraine and present successful the Indo-Pacific."