Europeans Race to Establish Trade With Iran
Steve Erlanger | New York Times
European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal are scrambling to get a barter-trade arrangement with Tehran up and running this week, in an effort to persuade Tehran not to breach limits on enrichment set out in the agreement. Iran has threatened to break the limit on its stockpile of low-enrichment uranium as early as Thursday. But it is considered likely to hold off until after a meeting in Vienna on Friday with the remaining signatories: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union. Iran has said it will breach the deal unless it gets at least some of the economic benefits it was promised in return for accepting tough limits on its nuclear program. The Europeans are hoping to announce by Friday a multimillion-euro line of credit to get the barter-trade system functioning. On Wednesday, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, repeated the warning, saying, “a multilateral agreement cannot be implemented unilaterally,” and arguing that the Europeans must step up. The Europeans said in a statement that the barter system, known as Instex, was being finalized and that Iran should stick to the deal.
North Korea Denies Reports of Behind-the-Scenes Talks with U.S. in Sharp Rebuttal to South Korea’s Moon
Joshua Berlinger | CNN
A top official at North Korea's Foreign Ministry has accused South Korean President Moon Jae-in of lying about back channel talks between Pyongyang and Washington in order to manipulate public opinion, complicating efforts by Seoul to revive nuclear negotiations between the two sides. The comments, published in North Korea's state-run news outlet KCNA Thursday, come a day after Moon said officials from Pyongyang had been talking "behind the scenes" and "engaged in dialogue in regard to a third summit." Moon's supposed revelation and a recent exchange of letters between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and United States President Donald Trump had led to suggestions that the two sides could revive stalled denuclearization talks during Trump's trip to Asia beginning Thursday. Negotiations have, at least publicly, seemed to be stuck in neutral since the February summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi ended abruptly and without an agreement.
Xi: N. Korea’s Denuclearization Commitment Remains Unchanged
Yonhap News Agency
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that North Korea’s commitment to denuclearization remains unchanged and that it also intends to seek reconciliation with South Korea, according to South Korea's presidential office. Xi was briefing President Moon Jae-in on the results of his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a recent trip to Pyongyang as he had one-on-one summit talks with Moon in Osaka, Japan. “There's no change in (Kim's) will for denuclearization,” Xi was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung. Xi went on to say that Kim had expressed hope for an “improvement in external conditions” as his regime is striving for economic development and better living conditions of the people in accordance with a “new strategic (policy) line,” Ko added.
Senate Leaders Clinch Deal on Iran War
Marianne Levine, Burgess Everett, and Connor O’Brien | Politico
Senate Republican and Democratic leaders on Wednesday reached a deal to hold a debate on Iran this week, clearing the way for passage of a major defense policy bill before the July Fourth recess begins. Senate Democrats had threatened in recent days to hold up the must-pass defense bill if they didn't get a vote on an amendment from Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) that would require congressional approval before any military funds could go toward a conflict with Iran. In response, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that he would allow for a vote on the amendment Friday. The vote, he said, would be open all day Friday to accommodate members' schedules. If the amendment is adopted, it would be added to the National Defense Authorization Act retroactively. A vote on passage of the defense bill is expected to take place on Thursday.
NATO Weighs Boosting Air Defenses Over Russia Missile System
Lorne Cook | PBS
NATO is considering beefing up European air and missile defenses and ramping up its war games plans should Russia fail to respect a Cold War-era nuclear missile treaty by August, alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned Wednesday. The United States gave notice in February of its intention to withdraw from the landmark 1987 pact unless Russia destroyed its new SSC-8 missile. NATO allies believe the system contravenes the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, which is considered to be a cornerstone of European nuclear security. Speaking after a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, Stoltenberg said Russia showed no sign of returning to compliance before the U.S. deadline and “NATO is preparing for a world without the INF treaty.”
Russia Threatens Military Response to Any NATO Action Over Nuclear-Ready Missile
David Reid | CNBC
Moscow has said it will take “countervailing military measures” should NATO fulfil any threat related to Russia’s nuclear-ready cruise missile system. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that Russia must dismantle the short-range system, or the alliance will be forced to respond, adding that NATO-member defense ministers would now look at next steps “in the event that Russia does not comply.” No detail is yet known over what NATO might do although Stoltenberg said the alliance would not engage in any arms race. According to the Kremlin-owned news agency TASS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters Wednesday that NATO’s comments “reek of propaganda” and were falsely attempting to portray NATO’s threat as a “military and political response to Russia’s actions.”