The US, EU and Canada are calling for Russian diamonds to be given the status of bloody because of the situation in Ukraine, the New York Times reports, citing a letter from US State Department spokesman George Kajati addressed to the chairman of the Kimberley Process.

The Kimberley Process brings together over 80 countries. The organization was established in 2000 and named after the city of Kimberley in South Africa, where the first conference was held to combat the so-called blood diamonds - illegally mined gems, the proceeds from the sale of which are used to finance regional conflicts and terrorist groups.

According to the newspaper, in June at a meeting of the Kimberley Process in Botswana, the issue of diamonds from the Russian Federation was raised. However, the discussion ended after the veto of Russia, China and Belarus. Then disputes began over whether the Russian Federation should take part in the work of the process.

The US has banned the import of Russian rough diamonds, but Russian diamonds still enter the country. The newspaper also claims that most of the diamonds from Russia are allegedly processed in India, where they are labeled as diamonds of Indian origin.