Bullshit 'n' Bullies: Russia Steps in as Nuclear Peace Broker
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his readiness to act as a mediator in the escalating nuclear standoff between Iran and the United States.
Ever the peacemakers, Russia's sauntering into the hot mess that is the Iran-US nuclear dispute. Vladimir Putin, our man with the long-winded speeches and fur coat collection, has volunteered Moscow as the new bonfire for bilateral talks, indebted to their fun buddies in Tehran.[1][4] Putin sees the situation as an opportunity to use their close relationship with Iran to nip this nuclear issue in the bud.[4]
Meanwhile, ol' Donald Trump, the king of Twitter-fueled diplomacy, found himself on the phone with Putin discussing the Iranian nuclear program. The result? Putin offering to meddle in the talks, a move Trump welcomed despite Iran's tendency to stall negotiations in response to a US proposal for a nuclear deal.[2]
The remnants of the international nuclear deal with Iran, which Trump abandoned in 2018, have been under negotiation since April with the US and Iran. If you're counting, that's five rounds of talks already in the books. But with Trump's insistence on no uranium enrichment in Iran and Iran's adamant stance on the necessity for said enrichment for civilian purposes, it's clear there's no light at the end of the tunnel here.[2]
Trump maintains that the US government won't stand for any uranium enrichment within Iran. However, Iran asserts its right to enrich uranium for energy production is non-negotiable, and it's one hell of an adversarial stance.[1] Rubbing salt in the wound, the Kremlin defends Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program under the watchful eye of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).[3]
So, grab a snack and settle in, folks. Who knows how this mixed bag of history, politics, and nuclear weapons will play out? Remember, with great power comes great responsibility, and it seems only Putin took that lesson to heart.
[1] ntv.de[2] AFP[3] BBC[4] Reuters[5] Iran International English News (@IranIntl_EN) on Twitter
The European Union is also calling for a European-level dialogue with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe regarding the ongoing war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation involving Russia's recent nuclear peace-brokering actions with Iran. This comes as general-news unfolds on the international stage, showcasing the complex politics at play.
