Russia possesses and will implement “options to circumvent EU sanctions on diamonds,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday, in Google-translated comments carried by Russian state news agency Tass on Telegram.
On Monday, the EU agreed its 12th package of sanctions against Moscow for its war in Ukraine, imposing a ban on the direct or indirect import, purchase or transfer of diamonds that originate in Russia, are exported by the country or transit the nation. The prohibition applies to both natural and synthetic diamonds, alongside diamond jewelry.
An indirect import ban on Russian diamonds processed in third countries will be phased in between March 1 and Sep. 1 next year.