Carter Center Launches Initiative to Educate US Policymakers on Indian Democracy Issues

According to The Wire India, Carter Center, a United States-based non-governmental organization that focuses on conflict resolution and the advancement of global understanding, is establishing an initiative to educate US policymakers on issues related to democracy and human rights in India.

The initiative, titled I-Policy, hopes to host dialogues and publish original policy research to keep stakeholders informed of key developments in Indian democracy, with emphasis on those that influence US-India ties.

I-Policy will be established in Washington D.C. where Tanmay Misra has been appointed as I-Policy’s strategy officer and Shelby House, the researcher-editor.

I-Policy will be supported by an advisory board whose members include Saman Zia-Zarifi (secretary general of the International Commission of Jurists), James Traub (columnist at Foreign Policy and senior fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation), and Vinod Jose (executive editor at The Caravan magazine). A press release by Carter Center announces that the move aims at offering a resource for American policymakers to ensure that India’s democracy remains robust, especially given rising challenges in the country.

The initiative will launch its official website, to showcase relevant and diverse research and analysis, son.

Carter Center’s CEO Paige Alexander has noted in the release that backsliding in India, the world’s largest democracy, have repercussions for countries everywhere, according to experts.

It is noteworthy that the press release observes, “In recent years, India has seen a significant decline in global indices that measure the strength of democratic norms and practices. Areas of concern include freedom of the press, judicial independence, and protection of minorities.”

India has been listed under countries considered ‘bad’ for journalism and is among the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders. In response, The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had said it does not agree to the conclusion.

Adding that economic stagnation has compounded these problems, the Center says that US companies – including technology firms – have reported difficulties navigating India’s sensitive landscape.

“Failure to address such challenges in a timely and effective manner poses risks to economic prosperity, geopolitical stability, and the US-India strategic partnership,” it says.

Mystery of India firing a missile into Pakistan

India said on Friday it had accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan because of a ‘technical malfunction’ during routine maintenance, giving its version of events after Pakistan summoned Indian envoy to protest.

Military experts have in the past warned of the risk of accidents or miscalculations by the nuclear-armed neighbors, which have fought three wars and engaged in numerous smaller armed clashes, usually over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Tensions have eased in recent months, and the incident which may have been the first of its kind, immediately raised questions about safety mechanisms.

"On 9 March 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile," Indian Ministry of Defence said in a three-paragraph statement.

"It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident."

The ministry said the government had "taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry."

Pakistani officials said the missile was unarmed and had crashed near the country's eastern city of Mian Channu, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the capital, Islamabad.

Pakistan's foreign office summoned Indian charge d'affaires in Islamabad to lodge a protest over what it called an unprovoked violation of its airspace, saying the incident could have endangered passenger flights and civilian lives.

Pakistan warned India to be mindful of the unpleasant consequences of such negligence and take effective measures to avoid the recurrence of such violations in future.

Ayesha Siddiqa, an expert on military affairs and South Asian matters, tweeted that "India-Pak should be talking about risk mitigation".

Both states have remained confident about control of nuclear weapons but what if such accidents happen again and with more serious consequences?

One senior Pakistani security official told Reuters, on the condition of anonymity that the incident had raised alarm and could have escalated into a critical untoward situation.

"The admission that it was a missile was very nonchalant," he said. "What does this say about their safety mechanisms and the technical prowess of very dangerous weapons? The international community needs to have a very close look at this."

The official said it was possibly a BrahMos missile, a nuclear capable, land attack cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India.

According to the US-based Arms Control Association, the missile's range is between 300 kilometers (186 miles) and 500 kilometers (310 miles), making it capable of hitting Islamabad from a northern Indian launch pad.

The Pakistani official wondered if the incident meant that India had missiles in ready to launch positions and pointed at Pakistan, and that too without any safeguard of a command and control system.

A Pakistani military spokesman told a news conference on Thursday that a high-speed flying object originating from the northern Indian city of Sirsa had crashed in eastern Pakistan.

"The flight path of this object endangered many national and international passenger flights both in Indian and Pakistani airspace as well as human life and property on ground," he said.

A Pakistan air force official said the object, flying at 40,000 feet (12,200 meters) and three times the speed of sound, had flown 124 kilometers (77 miles) in Pakistani airspace.

Happymon Jacob, a professor of international studies at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, said both sides had handled the situation well.

"It gives me great hope that the two nuclear weapon states dealt with the missile incident in a mature manner," he wrote on Twitter. "New Delhi should offer to pay compensation for the Pak house that was destroyed."

United States and Britain pushed Ukraine into war to serve their vested interests

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah says the United States and Britain pushed Ukraine into war, as Washington ditches its plan to send Polish fighter jets to Ukraine after Warsaw finally agreed to the idea. 

According to experts, the next few days will be critical for the tide of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Experts have noted Moscow will advance on its goals soon while Washington is looking to prolong the war, with observers highlighting it is not in the US interest to end at this moment now. 

In what had been a long thought out plan, Poland finally agreed to provide all its MiG-29 fighter jets (28 planes in total) to the US, which in turn was supposed to hand them over to Ukraine and replace the Polish fleet with American made fighter jets. This was a strong request by the Ukrainian government. 

Ukraine’s embattled armed forces desperately need warplanes. However, any new jets need to be ones that Ukrainian pilots have been trained to operate, which means they have to be Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets. 

Western countries have been increasingly supplying arms to Ukraine to avoid a swift Russian victory. But so far all the anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles transferred have only helped slow down the Russian advance.

Analysts say what is left of Ukraine’s air force will sustain further losses and it will soon reach the point where it is unable to defend itself from attack in the skies. A new fleet of warplanes would ensure (at least for a limited period) the air space above Ukraine remains contested, and would perhaps make Russia think twice about airstrikes on the capital Kyiv.

However, Washington appeared stunned by Poland’s announcement and the Pentagon has now dismissed the whole operation citing ‘logistical challenges’. 

Was the whole idea just to boost Ukraine’s morale after Kyiv voiced its anger at its allies for lack of support? 

Referring to the abandonment of Ukraine, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, affirmed that the wounded who fought the Israeli occupation are the witnesses in a time of denial, and evidence of the continuation of the resistance."

Nasrallah, who made the remarks during a speech on the annual Lebanese occasion ‘Day of the Wounded’ indicated that the events in Ukraine are very important in terms of lessons and lessons learned from them, and said, "Washington calls on Russia not to target civilians, so what does it have to say about the victims of American wars?"

Nasrallah recalled that American planes bombed Afghan weddings, and claimed that they were training centers for militants”, despite later acknowledging women and children had been killed. 

In related context, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah asked, "What about the Israeli massacres and war crimes in occupied Palestine, and the siege of Gaza?" He added, "And what about the massacres of the Saudi coalition against civilians in Yemen? Why is the world silent about the siege of Yemen?"

Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that those who belong to the world of the white man are just a commodity and a tool for the Americans, adding that thousands of trial sessions must be held for the American and European armies because of their crimes all over the world.

He explained that the world was silent about the Takfiris' targeting of Friday prayers in Pakistan last week, stressing that Washington is not satisfied with not condemning the Israeli crimes in Palestine, but rather prevents the world from condemning them as well.

Sayyed Nasrallah declared that there is daily evidence in the world that trusting the Americans is stupidity, foolishness, ignorance, and neglect of the nation and the homeland, adding, we have all seen how the United States left Afghanistan and abandoned those who trusted it there."

He pointed out that several European countries, including Germany, did not want things in Ukraine to reach the point where they are now, and stressed that the United States and Britain pushed Ukraine into war.

He added, "Washington stresses daily that it will not send American planes and soldiers to Ukraine, despite the fact that it pushed the region to war”. He says Washington is effectively telling the Ukrainians “you fight [against Russia], we are not ready to fight for your sake.. the most we can do is impose sanctions because we have a goal to weaken Russia, the reality is your problems are not our problems.”

The Hezbollah Chief stressed that there is a feeling of betrayal and disappointment among Ukrainian officials, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has backed down, he is now ready to discuss Moscow's demands, if the US allows him because he knows clearly that those who promised to stand beside him and support him.. abandoned him."

On the level of humane treatment of refugees fleeing armed conflict, Sayyed Nasrallah clarified that dealing with refugees exposes discrimination based on religion, race, and color. Is this Western civilization? 

Nasrallah addressed the Lebanese officials, saying that submission to American dictates will not save Lebanon, but rather will increase its problems.

The Hezbollah Secretary-General indicated that Lebanon voted against Russia at the United Nations, although it could have chosen to abstain from the vote, explaining that Lebanon is required to tell the Americans that the Lebanese are not slaves to it, as this is what sovereignty dictates.

Sayyed Nasrallah said, "The statement issued by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry regarding Ukraine was written in the US embassy," and asked, "Where is the disassociation that the government calls for? Why did the advocates of neutrality remain silent in front of the Lebanese statement?"

He added, "All the talk we heard about neutrality and disassociation is just an excuse to evade responsibilities towards the Palestinian cause and the war on Syria and Yemen," noting that "when it comes to the Americans, the talk about neutrality and disassociation disappears."

Nasrallah clarified, "The Foreign Ministry's statement regarding the Russian operation in Ukraine drops the lie and delusion that Hezbollah dominates the decisions made by the Lebanese state."

He asked, "If Hezbollah had dominated the state's affairs, would the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have issued a statement of this kind?"

On the issue of Lebanon's energy problems, Nasrallah revealed for the first time that a Russian company submitted to Lebanon an offer over the establishment of an oil refinery with Russian financial backing.

He added that the Russian company announced its readiness to secure all Lebanon's need for oil derivatives, and added that the company confirmed that it is able to sell oil derivatives in the Lebanese currency, not in US dollars.

Nasrallah said, "So far, Lebanon has not issued a response, after negotiations that lasted for a year and a half with the Russian company," noting that "the American embassy is preventing the Lebanese response to the Russian offer."

He explained that "the Americans are preventing Lebanon from moving towards the option with Russia without presenting an alternative."

Nasrallah reiterated that "if Hezbollah had dominated the decisions of the Lebanese state, the Russian offer would have been accepted a year and a half ago and the energy shortage problems would have been solved," calling on "Lebanese officials to take the decision and accept the proposal because the queues have returned in front of the gas stations."

The Secretary-General of Hezbollah concluded his speech by calling on the Lebanese state to "save all the Lebanese stranded in Ukraine, and to take care of those who managed to get out and reach Lebanon," and demanded that it "a minimum level of freedom, independence and patriotism, and to think about the country's interest."

 

 

United States and allies to revoke most favored nation status for Russia

President Joe Biden announced on Friday that the United States and Group of Seven (G-7) nations would move to revoke the ‘most favored nation’ trade status for Russia as part of a new tranche of penalties in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

In remarks from the Roosevelt Room, Biden said the coordinated move would deal another crushing blow to the Russian economy.

In the US, the move requires an act of Congress. Biden said Friday that Speaker Nancy Pelosi had agreed to hold off on a bill in the House ending normal trade relations with Russia until he could get US allies behind a plan to do so together and signaled there was a bipartisan agreement to introduce legislation.

“Unity among our allies is critically important,” Biden said. 

The move will open the door to the US and other countries imposing higher tariffs on Russian goods, which will further hamper the Russian economy.  

Biden thanked bipartisan leaders in the House and Senate, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for their work on the issue.  

“The free world is coming together to confront Putin. Our two parties here at home are leading the way,” Biden said.  

“And with that bipartisan cooperation, I’m looking forward to signing into law the bill revoking PNTR,” Biden said, referring to the status of permanent normal trade relations.  

Pelosi said in a subsequent statement that the House would take up legislation to revoke Russia’s trading status when lawmakers return to Washington next week.  

Biden also announced that his administration would sanction more Russian oligarchs and boost coordination with G-7 countries to seize their assets.  

Additionally, Biden said that the G-7 would agree to deny Russia the ability to borrow from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.  

“Putin must pay the price,” Biden said. “He cannot pursue a war that threatens the very foundations — which he is doing — the very foundations of international peace and stability and then ask for financial help from the international community.” 

Finally, Biden plans to ban imports of Russian seafood, spirits and diamonds and prohibit the export of luxury goods to Russia by way of an executive order.

Biden made the announcement after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russia has targeted Kyiv and other cities and launched strikes on civilian areas, including a children’s hospital in Mariupol earlier this week.  

The G-7 issued a joint statement later Friday announcing the new measures and pledging to hold Putin accountable for starting an unjustified and unprovoked war.

“We the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) remain resolved to stand with the Ukrainian people and government who heroically resist Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military aggression and war of choice against their sovereign nation,” the statement read.

“This unprovoked and unjustified attack is causing enormous suffering and a tragic loss of life, including through the increasingly indiscriminate bombing and shelling of civilians in schools, homes, and hospitals."

The Biden administration has closely coordinated penalties on Russia with European allies, and Friday’s announcement was no exception.  

The US and its allies have imposed sanctions on Russian banks and oligarchs and barred some of the banks from using the SWIFT international financial communication system. Earlier this week, Biden announced plans to ban US imports of Russian energy as he faced bipartisan calls in Congress to do so. 

The US has also imposed export controls meant to deny Russia key technology to support its defense, maritime and aerospace sectors. 

The Russian economy has taken a serious hit, with the ruble’s value declining considerably. 

Many large businesses have also suspended operations in Russia, further isolating the country over the military campaign against Ukraine.   

 

Deutsche Bank not withdrawing completely from Russia

Deutsche Bank said it was not withdrawing completely from Russia, drawing anger from investors and contrasting with Wall Street banks which are severing ties with the country over its invasion of Ukraine. Banks and asset managers have joined many other Western companies in pulling back from Russia following a raft of sanctions on the country.

"We are often asked why we are not withdrawing completely from Russia. The answer is that this would go against our values," Chief Executive Christian Sewing said in a note to Deutsche Bank staff on Thursday.

He added that it would not be the right thing to do in terms of managing those client relationships and helping them to manage their situation.

Bill Browder, an investor campaigning to expose corruption, said that by staying in Russia, Germany's biggest bank is completely at odds with the international business community and will create backlash, lost reputation and business in the West.

Russian forces bearing down on Kyiv were regrouping northwest of the Ukrainian capital, satellite pictures showed on Friday, and Britain said Moscow could now be planning an assault on the city within days.

Tim Ash, senior emerging market sovereign strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, said it was "just not good enough from Deutsche Bank ".

"Perhaps Deutsche Bank needs to take a fresh look at its own ESG (environmental, social, governance) framework," he said.

Fund managers are reassessing their approach to governance as a result of the invasion.

Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase this week became the first US banks to suspend business in Russia.

Goldman Sachs, which has a credit exposure to Russia of US$650 million, said on Thursday it was winding down its business there. Any losses would be immaterial, according to a source familiar with the situation.

JPMorgan also said it was actively unwinding Russian business and was not pursuing any new business there.

JPMorgan has about 160 staff in Moscow. The bank did not list Russia in the top 20 countries where it has the most exposure, in its most recent filings.

The world's biggest insurance brokers Marsh and Aon also said on Thursday they were halting operations in Russia.

Deutsche Bank said earlier this week its credit risk exposure to Russia and Ukraine was US$3.18 billion and that it had reduced its Russia exposure further over the past two weeks.

Credit Suisse, Italy's UniCredit and France's BNP Paribas have also disclosed billions of euros worth of Russia risk.

"Most European banks are applying the strictest sanctions and even going further, trying to do what is right and what needs to be done," Ana Botin, President of the European Banking Federation and Executive Chairman of Santander, said in an interview with Spain's El Mundo newspaper published on Friday.

While the potential losses among major European lenders are not big enough to threaten their stability, analysts and investors fear it could derail their turnaround plans and halt payouts to shareholders.

European banking stocks have had a reprieve this week, clawing back some of their sharp losses made since the invasion

 

China: Wildcard in Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Washington is focused on Chinese President Xi Jinping as President Joe Biden grapples with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s violent military campaign against Ukraine.  

Biden administration officials are calling on Xi and his government to join other nations in condemning Russia, while warning China of consequences if it tries to evade export controls on Moscow. 

China is viewed as a key player because of its influence with Russia, which is expected to grow as Moscow finds itself further isolated by Western sanctions. 

“If there’s anybody that could make a difference, it’s Xi Jinping,” said Charles Kupchan, who served as Senior Director for European affairs at the National Security Council in the Obama White House. “China is Russia’s lifeline right now, and if the Chinese discover the gumption to tell Putin that it’s enough, I think the impact would be very considerable.” 

“I do not yet see any signs that China is going to head down the road,” he added.  

CIA Director William Burns told Senate lawmakers on Thursday that Xi has been unsettled by the war playing out in Ukraine and the unity it has inspired in the West. Burns assessed that the Chinese leader is worried about global economic consequences as well as damage to his reputation from being associated with the ugliness of Russia’s war.  

“I think the Chinese leadership, President Xi, has invested a lot in partnership with President Putin and Russia. I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon. It’s for a lot of very cold-blooded reasons. I do, however, think that President Xi is unsettled by what he has seen transpire in the last 15 days in Ukraine,” Burns told the Senate Intelligence Committee.  

“That’s raised some question marks in the minds of Chinese leadership as they look at what is going to be an enduring partnership but maybe with a few more concerns than they had 16 days ago,” he said.  

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday pointed to a handful of actions China has taken that were viewed positively by the West, including Beijing’s decision to abstain from voting on a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Ukraine invasion. Some believed China would vote against it in a nod to Russia. 

Psaki also said that China has largely abided by sanctions the administration has imposed on Russia thus far. 

“I would note, though, that if any country tries to evade or work around our economic measures, they will experience the consequences of those actions,” Psaki said. 

“Our assessment right now is that they’re abiding by the requirements that have been put in place, but we would continue to encourage any country to think a lot about what role they want to play in history as we all look back,” she said. 

The administration has stepped up its rhetoric with China in recent days. 

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told the New York Times in an interview published Tuesday that the US would penalize Chinese firms that violate US export controls imposed on Russia by preventing them from using American software. 

“They have their own self-interest to not supply this stuff to Russia. So they’re not doing it out of the goodness of their heart. It would be devastating to China’s ability to produce these chips,” Raimondo told the Times. 

Days earlier, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged China to use its voice to condemn Russian aggression during a call with his Chinese counterpart.  

“They have an opportunity for leadership here and we are all urging them to take it,” Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.  

The White House failed to convince China to avert a Russian invasion of Ukraine before it happened.  

Xi and Putin celebrated their close relationship in an in-person meeting ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing. The two sides released a joint statement declaring the China-Russia relationship had no limits.   

Burns on Thursday described that as the “most sweeping expression of their commitment to partnership” that the US has seen but noted that the war has since unsettled Beijing. At one point during his testimony, Burns said China’s own intelligence didn’t appear to foresee Putin’s attack. 

The US is also watching China closely over concerns that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine will embolden Xi to launch a military takeover of Taiwan, the self-governed democratic island that Beijing views as a rogue territory.  

The administration in early March sent a high-level, non-governmental delegation to Taiwan in a show of American solidarity. The United States is required by law to provide Taipei with the military means and assistance necessary to repel a possible Chinese invasion. 

It’s unclear whether Biden will seek a call with Xi about Ukraine. The two leaders last spoke one-on-one during a virtual meeting in November. The White House made clear after Russia began its invasion that Biden was open to a call with Xi.  

“China is not going to reassess its view on the China-Russia relationship fundamentally on this alone,” said Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “But we can make it more painful for China.”  

O’Hanlon noted that China would be the key to putting pressure on Russia to agree to some kind of diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine. 

The Chinese leader earlier this week spoke jointly with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In its readout of that call, China said that Xi expressed support for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia and warned that sanctions were not in the global community’s interest.  

The relationship between the US and China has grown more confrontational in recent years, as former President Trump waged a trade war with Beijing. Biden has since made competition with China a centerpiece of his domestic economic agenda.  

Still, China maintains robust trade relations with the West and Europe in particular. A close association with Putin threatens to disrupt that.  

“They still find the international system useful to them. They are not risk takers the way that Vladimir Putin is,” Evelyn Farkas, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, said of the Chinese. “If they stand with Russia, the world will condemn them.”  

Russia clarifies demanding written guarantees from United States

Russia has provided clarifications on its demand for written guarantees from the United States regarding the talks in Vienna over reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The clarifications were offered in a briefing at the Russian Embassy in Tehran with a limited number of reporters.

In the meeting, Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan spoke in detail about the Russian special military operation in neighboring Ukraine. But he also spoke broadly about the Russian demand in Vienna.

Responding to questions from the Tehran Times about the nature of guarantees Russia is now demanding at the Vienna talk, the Russian Ambassador lambasted Western media for spreading misinformation about the Russian demand, underlining Moscow’s positive approach toward the 2015 nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), both during the 2015 negotiations that culminated in the deal and the current talks to revive it. 

“You now are hearing contradictory voices claiming that Russia does not want the JCPOA talks to succeed,” the ambassador told the press briefing, noting that these voices are wrong. “Russia has adopted a positive approach toward both the JCPOA negotiations in 2015 and the current talks. But it is natural that we will take into account our interests,” he added. 

The Russian demand for guarantees was first made public by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a joint press conference with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev in Moscow on March 05.

Responding to a question on the prospect for the conclusion of the Vienna talks in the near future, Lavrov said, “Some problems regarding the interests of the Russian Federation have arisen recently. Agreements on resuming the JCPOA provide for a package of reciprocal commitments.”

He added that the original JCPOA provided for the absence of any obstacles to trade, economic and investment relations with Iran and to the implementation of military-technical cooperation projects with it. This could seem all right, but the avalanche of aggressive Western sanctions that is still rolling down gives one food for thought. These sanctions should be primarily reviewed by the lawyers.

He then broached the issue of guarantees. “We would like to receive a clear answer. We need guarantees that sanctions will not affect in any way the regime of trade, economic and investment ties set out in the JCPOA on Iran’s nuclear program. We asked our American colleagues (because they are running the whole show here) to give us guarantees in writing, at least at the level of the Secretary of State, that the current process launched by the US will not impinge in any way on our free full-scale trade, economic, investment and military-technical cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said.

The European parties to the JCPOA hinted that the Russian demand is extraneous in their March 08 joint statement to the IAEA Board of Governors.

Iran has so far refrained from evaluating the Russian demand and preferred to pursue the matter through diplomatic channels. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian spoke over the phone with Lavrov on Monday. Dzhagaryan said the two went over the Russian demand for guarantees in detail. 

The Russian Foreign Minister told his Iranian counterpart that the resuscitation of the JCPOA should ensure that all its participants have equal rights regarding the unhindered development of cooperation in all areas without any discrimination, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

Dzhagaryan reiterated this in his Wednesday briefing, saying that Russia wants the Vienna talks to achieve its goal. But we will also take into account our interests, he reiterated.

When asked to provide details about the guarantees Russia is seeking, the Ambassador said he is not authorized to give details in this regard. But he said, “We asked the United States. to give us a clear text on the guarantees which does not have any brackets so that we review it.”

Dzhagaryan said he is in regular contact with Iranian officials and they are fully aware of the Russian demand.

The Tehran Times asked the Russian ambassador whether the possible Western failure to provide written guarantees would impinge on the conclusion of the Vienna talks. “I’m not authorized to make predictions. Only the heads of the negotiating delegations in Vienna and the high-ranking officials in Moscow are in the know about this,” he said.