The G7 nations meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, will be announcing new sanctions against the brutal regime of Vladimir Putin today, according to reports. This is the eleventh round of sanctions against Russia, with each round's announcement claiming to be the toughest, most restrictive ever. One wonders why more of these sanctions weren't imposed from the outset, saving more Ukrainian lives from Russian weapons. Meanwhile, Russia has figured out loopholes for some of the sanctions already imposed, working with friendly regimes and non-governmental actors (i.e., criminal organizations). From the linked Associated Press's report:
"Russia is now the most-sanctioned country in the world, but there are questions about their effectiveness. EU Council President Charles Michel said the plan was to close loopholes and ensure the sanctions are painful for Russia, not for the countries enforcing them. [snip]
Michel said the 27-nation EU was focused on 'shutting the door on loopholes and continuing to cut Russia off from critical supplies.' It is working on a plan to restrict trade in Russian diamonds and trace the trade to prevent Russia from skirting the restrictions. Russia exports about $4 billion worth of rough diamonds a year, nearly a third of the world’s total, and the lion’s share are cut and polished in India." (our emphasis)
India, an invited guest to the G7 summit, has traditionally had a close economic (oil) and military relationship with Russia that has remained strong under the right-wing government of Narendra Modi, a Trump favorite. However, Indian adversary China's embrace of Russia may prompt India to alter its course. Recently, the South African regime was accused of allowing an arms shipment to Russia, a charge their government is "investigating." South Africa is also an invitee to the G7 summit.
Equal focus will be on the aggressive behavior of China in East Asia and beyond, a concern of Japan, the U.S. and India, and measures to counteract it may include closer security ties and economic and trade measures. The summit ends tomorrow, and a statement will likely detail the actions agreed upon.
