Mining company Lucara Diamond has called on the EU to impose sanctions on Russian diamonds after the bloc reversed on plans to hit gemstone exports.
Eira Thomas, chief executive of the Canadian mining group that operates mainly in Botswana, told the Financial Times her personal view was that diamonds of Russian origin “should be sanctioned”.
The EU in October mooted a ban on imports from Russian diamond producer Alrosa — in which Moscow owns a one-third stake — as part of its eighth package of sanctions but the measure was removed at the eleventh hour despite the bloc going to great lengths to hit other extractive industries such as oil.