Assessment: The original parties of the JCPOA were the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; plus Germany) plus Germany, hence the term P5+1.
On Wednesday, almost a week after Russia invaded Ukraine, it was announced that Russia was part of the negotiations between the US and Iran over its nuclear program.
“Top US and Russian officials for Iran have met in Vienna, a Russian envoy said on Wednesday, and delegates on both sides said Moscow and Washington were coordinating in a bid to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal,” the report said.
“Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. Ezekiel 39:1
After President Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement with Iran in 2018, President Biden undertook to jumpstart negotiations upon entering office and talks with Iran have been going on for ten months. Last week, Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian negotiator, was posting videos and pictures on Twitter showing the ongoing coordination with the United States, France, Britain, and Germany, adding that there was a “very high probability” of a deal within a week.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected the negotiations.
Read More @ Israel 365 HERE
Assessment: China has repeatedly voiced opposition to the sanctions, calling them ineffective and insisting it will maintain normal economic and trade exchanges with Russia …
As US and European sanctions make life increasingly difficult for Russian businesses, one Chinese bank claims it has seen a surge in requests from Russian firms trying to open new bank accounts, according to an anonymous source quoted by Reuters.
It’s the latest example of a phenomenon first described by Credit Suisse’s Zoltan Poszar, who warned during a recent interview with Bloomberg that sanctions against Russia- along with the ban of most Russian banks from SWIFT – could lead to greater reliance on the Chinese yuan by Russian companies. As we said, China’s yuan, which presently accounts for just 2.7% of world reserves, is one option for anxious reserve managers in Moscow or elsewhere.
“Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared” Rev. 16:12.
“Over the past few days, 200-300 companies have approached us, wanting to open new accounts,” the person, who works at the Moscow branch of a Chinese state bank and has direct knowledge of its operations, told Reuters.
The source added that most of the firms looking to open an account with their bank do a lot of business with China.
He declined to be named or have his bank identified as he is not authorized to speak with media.
It was not clear how widespread Russian demand for new accounts at Chinese banks was, but the banker source told Reuters many of the companies seeking new accounts do business with China and that he expected yuan transactions by such firms to increase.
Still, it’s a sign that Russian Central Bank will likely need to keep more reserves denominated in the Chinese yuan.
Assessment: Notice that the Biden team has no plan to replace the 600,000 barrels of oil that the United States buys from Russia each day except for relying on the signing of the Iran nuclear deal.
Another day, another flashing red headline that the White House is considering a ban on Russian oil imports – something it has repeatedly said earlier this week – although it has yet to make a decision:
The news sent WTI spiking as high as $114.64.
“A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.” Proverbs 18:2
The Biden administration also said it was looking at options they can take right now if they decide to cut the U.S. intake of Russian energy, say Cecilia Rouse, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
“We are considering a range of options but what’s really essential is that we maintain a steady supply of global energy,” Rouse says at briefing, adding the U.S. does not import a lot of Russian oil (but it does import enough for it to be meaningful).
Read More @ Zero Hedge HERE
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour” that to combat oil prices skyrocketing amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden did not want to authorize the Keystone Pipeline.
According to Buttigieg, it would be “galloping after permanent solutions to immediate short term problems.”
“A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.” Proverbs 18:2
Anchor Stephanie Ruhle said, “I want to stay on gas for another moment. You’re absolutely right, the president does not set the price of gas, but he can influence it. And while releasing some strategic reserves matters, given how much has been released, it is really just a drop in the bucket. Are there things, and I realize this is controversial, it has huge environmental impacts, could the president possibly consider authorizing the Keystone Pipeline? Or working something out with Iran?”
Buttigieg said, “Look, the president has said that all options are on the table. But we also need to make sure that we are not galloping after permanent solutions to immediate short term problems, where more strategic and tactical actions in the short term that can make a difference, like what you have with the strategic reserve, which exists partly in order to respond to situations like this.”
He added, “The president has laid policies that are going help cushion the impacts of any volatility in energy markets in the future by building up more of a diversified and homegrown energy base for this country.”
Read More @ Breitbart HERE