Vladimir Putin was on Tuesday on his first trip outside the former Soviet Union since the start of the war in Ukraine. The trip went to Iran, which describes Russia as its “most strategic partner”.
Updated less than 20 minutes ago
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On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin landed in Tehran to meet Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to one article in The New York Times the Russian president is said to have said that the relationship between the two countries is developing at a good pace, both in relation to the economy, security and regional affairs.
This is the third time the two presidents have met since January, and both have said, according to the newspaper, that Western sanctions help bring the two countries closer together.
Will remove dollar from global trade
Putin’s visit to Iran sends strong signals to the West about who he wants strategic cooperation with, writes Reuters. The Russian president appears to be forging ties with Iran, China and India over Western sanctions.
– The US dollar should be gradually removed from global trade, and this can be done gradually, Khamenei is said to have told Putin, according to Reuters.
Furthermore, according to the news agency, the Iranian leader is said to have said that Putin had little choice when it came to the occupation of Ukraine:
– If you had not taken the initiative, the other side (the West, editor’s note) would have caused a war on its own initiative.
–Russia is described as Iran’s “most strategic partner” by Fadahossein Maleki, a member of the Iranian parliament’s committee for national security and foreign policy.
This is revealed in an article from the news agency AP.
White House sources report that Russian officials have visited Iran up to several times to assess the country’s weapons for use in Ukraine.
Paying tribute to Erdogan
Putin and Raisi also sat down with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss, among other things, the situation in Syria. Here, according to Reuters, they must have agreed to continue the dialogue in order to “normalize” the situation in the country.
– With your mediation, we have moved forward. Not all the problems have been solved yet, but the fact that there is movement is already good, Putin is said to have told Erdogan after the meeting.
Earlier this month it emerged that Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations (UN) will sign an agreement to continue Ukraine’s grain exports. It reports Reuters.
–Asking for the sanctions to be removed
After the talks with Iran and Turkey, Putin demanded that Western sanctions against Russia be removed, because he claims it is hindering the country’s grain exports.
– We will facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain, but we assume that all restrictions related to air deliveries for the export of Russian grain will be lifted.
The EU has previously pointed out that the sanctions do not target Russia’s grain exports.
– The Americans have essentially lifted restrictions on the supply of Russian fertilizer to world markets. If they want to improve the situation on the international food market, I hope the same will happen with the delivery of Russian grain for export, says Putin.
Hints at a past
Spokesperson for the Kremlin, Dmitri S. Peskov, hints in a statement to Iranian media that there have been ties of friendship and strategic interests between Russia and Persia going back to the 16th century.
– Many of today’s countries did not even exist at that time, says Peskov.
He is said to have also talked about the possibilities for a strategic agreement between the countries to avoid the use of US dollars in international trade.
John Kirby, chief spokesman for the National Security Council in the United States, believes that Putin’s visit says something about the country’s development after the invasion.
– Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to Iran shows how isolated Russia has become after their invasion of Ukraine, says Kirby according to Reuters.
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