The country produced nearly twice as many carats as the second-largest supplier, Botswana Russia was the top global producer of rough diamonds in 2022, RIA Novosti reported on Sunday, citing data from the Kimberley Process.

The reliance poses a national security risk, a senior energy figure in Washington has said  The US imports vast amounts of nuclear fuel and compounds from Russia, a reliance which poses a “critical” threat to national security, a senior official in the administration of President Joe Biden has told the Financial Times.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Vassily Zvarych, has accused Polish truckers of playing into Moscow’s hands by imposing a blockade on several border crossings on Monday. The protesting truck drivers have vowed to keep the border effectively shut until Warsaw addresses their complaints.