Proposal to Restrict Russian Metal Exports

MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to restrict exports of Russian metals is an invitation for officials to think about it, and there are no concrete measures yet, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Peskov stated that the proposal was a reaction to Western economic sanctions and was not related to the issue of Ukraine’s use of Western long-range missiles.

“These are completely unrelated things. This is related to the practice of illegal trade restrictions, attempts to constantly resort to new and newer restrictions in trade against our country,” Peskov said.

Peskov added that there are no specifics yet, remarking that it was a proposal to consider without harming Russia’s own interests. He noted that the government would review it.

Putin indicated during a government meeting on Wednesday that Russia should contemplate limiting exports of various commodities including uranium, titanium, and nickel.