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EU’s initiative to bypass US sanctions against Iran is proper, Putin says

The president believes that in this respect 'it is better late then never'

MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. The European Union performs commitments undertaken under the nuclear deal with Iran in an attempt to bypass US sanctions against Iran and views this as an element of global stability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session during the Russian Energy Week on Wednesday.

"It is a bit late but better late than never," the Russian leader said, commenting on the EU’s initiative to bypass US sanctions against Iran. Europe in this case "wants to perform undertaken international commitments" in respect of the nuclear deal with Iran "and views it, just as we do, as a stability element in global affairs and global policy, which impacts the global economy in one way or another," Putin noted.

Iran nuclear deal issue

In 2015, Iran and six major powers (five member states of the United Nations Security Council - Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and China - and Germany) agreed on the final Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which particularly stipulated the removal of sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear program.

On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. He said that old sanctions on Iran would be restored and new ones would be introduced in case Tehran attempted to pursue its nuclear ambitions. The first batch of new US sanctions on Iran took effect on August 7.

In the wake of Trump’s decision, the leaders of Great Britain, Germany and France called on other participants in the deal to continue fulfilling it. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Tehran would not abandon the JCPOA and would continue to comply with its obligations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Washington’s withdrawal from the JCPOA would violate the United Nations Security Council’s resolution. He added that Russia would seek to maintain the agreement despite US plans to resume sanctions against Iran.