RIYADH, December 7. /TASS/. Russian companies have been preparing for introduction of Western sanctions against Russian diamonds, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Previously, G7 states agreed during the online summit to impose restrictions on import of diamonds, extracted or processes in Russia by January 1, 2024; by March 1, these restrictions are supposed to cover Russian diamonds, processed in third countries.

"The sanctions on diamonds are hardly news," the spokesman said, noting that this has been discussed in detail for months already. "And, correspondingly, our companies in this sector are well aware of the risk they face. And, of course, they seek to hedge these risks. So this is hardly news."