TOKYO/WASHINGTON - United States President Joe Biden and leaders of the Group of Seven (G-7) countries met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky virtually on Dec 6 in a show of solidarity, and agreed to a new ban on Russian diamonds.
Under the new measures, the countries will ban non-industrial diamonds from Russia by January 2024 and Russian diamonds sold by third-party countries from March 2024, according to a joint statement released after the meeting.
The leaders also planned to tighten controls on Russia’s use of the international financial system and to impose more sanctions to enforce a price cap on Russian oil.
The measures came as Mr Biden pleaded with Congress to fund his weeks-old request for billions of dollars more in Ukraine assistance, saying it was an “urgent responsibility” and would keep US allies behind Ukraine.
The US plans to announce US$175 million (S$230 million) in additional military aid for Ukraine on Dec 6, according to a US official.
During the meeting, Mr Zelensky called for continued support for Ukraine.
“Russia believes that America and Europe will show weakness and will not maintain support for Ukraine at the proper level. Putin believes that the free world will not fully enforce its own sanctions,” he said, according to remarks posted to the president’s website.
“The free world vitally needs to maintain its consolidation, maintain interaction, maintain support for those whose freedom is being attacked.”
The G-7 members, comprising Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and the European Union, pledged in May to restrict exports to Russia that could fund its war effort in Ukraine.
A statement issued at the time said the restrictions would cover exports of industrial machinery, tools and technology and it would also try to limit Russian revenues from trade in metals and diamonds.
Western nations have admitted that the impact of their US$60 price cap on Russian crude oil has waned one year in, and the countries have been looking at ways to strengthen implementation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Saudi Arabia on Dec 6 for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Salman that were also expected to include Ukraine. REUTERS
