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Kremlin says premature to comment on EU plans to restrict trading in diamonds from Russia

In addition, according to the senior EU official, military, political, humanitarian and financial support for Ukraine will continue

MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. The Kremlin believes it is too early to comment on the EU's intention to restrict the trade in diamonds mined in Russia.

When asked to comment on the EU’s plans, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:

"Let's wait for [the relevant] decisions. As the practice with other goods and products shows, if they stop buying them in one place, they’ll start buying them in other places. There are no gaps here; world markets are mobile and offer a wealth of alternative options."

Earlier, speaking of the bloc’s intention to limit trading in Russian diamonds, European Council President Charles Michel noted that the EU is currently "focused on shutting the door on loopholes and continuing to cut Russia off from critical supplies."

In addition, according to the senior EU official, military, political, humanitarian and financial support for Ukraine will continue.

Belgium has come out as one of the main opponents of introducing unilateral EU sanctions against diamonds from Russia, driven by Belgian concerns that if such sanctions are not applied globally, then Russian diamond exports will go to the Middle East and India, leaving Antwerp’s celebrated diamond business with huge losses that the Low Countries kingdom cannot even begin to estimate.

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