Distrusting the West, Iran asked Russia’s help in creating nuclear weapons, the leaders of Germany and China discussed the risks of Russia’s nuclear strike on Ukraine, and the invaders are preparing to withdraw troops from Kherson.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and its allies agreed to impose a price cap on Russian oil.
offers a digest of Western mass media at the end of the October 31 — November 4 business week.
Why does Iran seek Russian help in creating nuclear weapons?
Russia used to be opposed to nuclear weapons in Iran. Photo: Pixabay
U.S. intelligence officials believe that Iran turned to Russia asking for help acquiring additional nuclear materials and with nuclear fuel fabrication should a lasting nuclear deal with world powers fail to materialize, the CNN writes.
It is not clear whether Russia has agreed to help — the Kremlin has long been outwardly opposed to Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon.
However, the partnership between Iran and Russia has expanded in recent months, as Iran sent drones to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine, and Moscow advised Tehran on how to suppress protests.
According to U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson, the Iran nuclear deal, or the JCPOA, is not on the agenda.
"We have been working with partners to expose the growing ties between Iran and Russia — and hold them accountable."
James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, believes that with Russia’s help, Iran could produce the fuel more quickly, cheaply, and on a shorter timeline.
The US Special Envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, said that U.S. officials were not going to waste their time on the nuclear deal if their efforts were doomed to fail.
Germany urges China to exert its influence on Russia
Olaf Scholz visited China. Photo: Getty Images
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, and Chinese president Xi Jinping agreed during talks in Beijing that nuclear threats over the war in Ukraine were irresponsible and extremely dangerous, Financial Times reports.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has made repeated warnings about using nuclear weapons, part of a strategy western officials say is designed to deter military aid to Kyiv.
Scholz said he and Xi had agreed that the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine would "cross a line that the community of nations has drawn together".
Olaf Scholz met with Xi Jinping in China [video]
According to Beijing’s readout of the meeting, Xi told Scholz that the international community should oppose the threat or use of nuclear weapons and prevent a nuclear crisis in Eurasia.
Scholz believes China should assert its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Xi Jinping hinted that he didn’t want the U.S. to exert pressure on China through the EU. Photo: Getty Images
In a thinly veiled reproach of the U.S., Xi said he hoped EU-China relations would not be controlled by a "third party".
Russia is preparing to withdraw its troops from Kherson, the West says
The Russians are preparing to retreat from Kherson. Photo: Kherson City Council
Russia has prepared the groundwork for withdrawing its troops from Kherson, a Western official said in a commentary for Politico.
The invaders have been forced to move to a more defensive position and are critically short of munitions, although Russia has temporarily bolstered its forces near Kherson to cover a retreat to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also was optimistic about Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the Kherson Region:
Rumors about a potential Russian withdrawal from Kherson city swirled around after pictures were posted on social media platforms showing the Russian flag was missing from the main administrative building in the city. However, Russian flags are flying from other official buildings.
Still, Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern military command, said it could be a Russian "trick."
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that civilians in Ukraine's Kherson region should be evacuated from the conflict zone, Reuters writes.
It was therefore the first time the Kremlin bloody dictator acknowledged a deteriorating situation in a region he occupied.
Price cap on Russian oil: what sanctions the G7 imposes
Oil from Russia will be subject to a price cap, but not entirely
The U.S. and its allies have agreed on which sales of Russian oil will be subject to a price cap, The Wall Street Journal writes.
Each load of seaborne Russian oil will only be subject to the price cap through its first sale to a buyer on land, meaning resales of the same oil on land won’t have to fall under the cap.
Intermediary trades of Russian oil that occur at sea must still fall under the cap, but if a load of Russian oil has been refined into petroleum products such as gasoline, then it can again be traded at sea without being subject to the cap
The Group of Seven advanced democracies and Australia are planning to bar firms in their countries from providing key maritime services — such as insurance — for the shipment of Russian oil unless the oil is sold below a set price.
Because much of the world’s maritime services are based in G7 countries and the European Union, the Western partners are aiming to effectively dictate the price at which Russia can sell some of its oil on global markets.
The U.S. and its allies are hoping to set a specific price level in the coming weeks. The price cap for Russian crude will go into effect December 5, while two separate price limits for refined Russian petroleum products will kick in on February 5.
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