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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
West plans to push IAEA board to find Iran in breach of duties, diplomats say
The logo of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is displayed at the agency's headquarters on the opening day of a quarterly meeting of its 35-nation Board of Governors in Vienna, Austria, June 3, 2024. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo VIENNA - Western powers are preparing to push the U.N. nuclear watchdog's board at its next quarterly meeting to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years, a move bound to enrage Tehran, diplomats said. The step is likely to further complicate talks between the United States and Iran aimed at imposing fresh restrictions on Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme. Washington and its European allies Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, proposed past resolutions adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors calling on Iran to quickly take steps such as explain uranium traces the IAEA found at undeclared sites. The IAEA is preparing to send member states its quarterly reports on Iran before the next board meeting, which begins on June 9. One of those will be a longer, "comprehensive" account of issues including Iran's cooperation, as demanded by a board resolution in November, and diplomats expect it to be damning. "We expect the comprehensive report to be tough, but there were already no doubts over Iran not keeping its non-proliferation commitments," one European official said. Once that report is issued, the United States will draft a proposed resolution text declaring Iran in breach of its so-called safeguards obligations, three diplomats said. A fourth said the Western powers were preparing a draft resolution without going into specifics. The text will be discussed with countries on the board in coming days before being formally submitted to the board by the four Western powers during the quarterly meeting as has happened with previous resolutions, diplomats said. SECURITY COUNCIL The last time the board took the step of formally declaring Iran in breach of its safeguards obligations was in September 2005 as part of a diplomatic standoff that stemmed from the discovery of clandestine nuclear activities in Iran. The United States and IAEA now believe Iran had a secret, coordinated nuclear weapons programme that it halted in 2003. Iran denies ever having had a weapons programme and says it is only using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. A separate IAEA board resolution passed in February 2006 referred Iran's non-compliance to the U.N. Security Council, which later imposed sanctions on Iran. The diplomats said it had not yet been determined at what point the Western powers would seek to have the matter referred to the Security Council, and it is unclear what action if any the Security Council would then take against Iran. The most immediate effect of a resolution is likely to be on Tehran's talks with the United States and any further nuclear steps Iran decides to take on the ground. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran would react to a resolution by "expanding nuclear work based on (the content of) the resolution". The board has passed all recent resolutions proposed by the Western powers on Iran, and there is little doubt that this one would go through as well. The only question is how large the majority would be. Russia and China have been the only countries to consistently oppose such resolutions. Iran bristles at resolutions and other criticism of it at the IAEA board, taking steps such as accelerating and expanding its uranium enrichment programme or barring top IAEA inspectors. It is already enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, which can easily be further enriched to the roughly 90% of weapons grade. It has enough material at that level, if enriched further, for six nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Finland completes first 35 km of fence on Russian border
A view of the new barrier fence on the Finnish-Russian border in Nuijamaa, Finland, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger A view of the new barrier fence on the Finnish-Russian border in Nuijamaa, Finland, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger A view of the new barrier fence on the Finnish-Russian border in Nuijamaa, Finland, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger A view of the new barrier fence on the Finnish-Russian border in Nuijamaa, Finland, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger A view of the new barrier fence on the Finnish-Russian border in Nuijamaa, Finland, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger NUIJAMAA, Finland - Finland has completed the first 35 km (22 miles) of a 4.5-metre (15-ft) high fence it is building on its closed eastern border with Russia to stop migrants from crossing via the wilderness, the Finnish Border Guard said on Wednesday. Finland began constructing the fence, which will eventually cover 200 km (124 miles) of the border's total 1,344 km (835 mile) length, last year in response to migration via Russia through the border in 2023, which it believes was deliberately orchestrated by Moscow. "The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland," the deputy commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Antti Virta, told Reuters. In Nuijamaa, near one of the closed border crossing points, the scene is tranquil, with just the sound of birdsong to be heard on both sides of the new fence on Wednesday. But Finland has faced criticism, and not just from Russia, over the border closure and fence construction. After decades of peaceful relations with Russia, Finland joined the NATO military alliance two years ago in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting Moscow to threaten Helsinki with retaliation. The same year - in 2023 - some 1,300 migrants from third countries such as Syria and Somalia arrived via Russia at the Finnish border to ask for asylum, until Finland closed all eight passenger crossing points to Russia indefinitely to put an end to the phenomenon. Russia has denied orchestrating the migrant flows. At the time, the Russian government said it deeply regretted Finland's decision to shut crossings on its border, saying it reflected Helsinki's adoption of an anti-Russian stance. Virtually no migrants arrived after Finland closed the border for passengers at the end of 2023, but the Border Guard defended the decision to build the fence. "The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security," Head of Operations Samuel Siljanen said. "From the Border Guard's perspective, it improves our ability to perform border surveillance, to act if there's some kind of disruption at the border or a border incident," he said, adding that the fence was needed to combat orchestrated migration. The European Court of Human Rights has asked Finland to justify the indefinite closure of the border. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, last year warned that Finland's temporary restrictions on asylum applications "would violate international obligations, including the prohibition of refoulement and collective expulsion". The fence consists of 3.5-metre high metal railings topped with a metre-high roll of barbed wire and it is equipped with cameras, sensors, loudspeakers and lights. It will be completed by the end of 2026, the Border Guard said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Finland completes first 35 km of fence on Russian border
A view of the new barrier fence on the Finnish-Russian border in Nuijamaa, Finland, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger NUIJAMAA, Finland (Reuters) -Finland has completed the first 35 km (22 miles) of a 4.5-metre (15-ft) high fence it is building on its closed eastern border with Russia to stop migrants from crossing via the wilderness, the Finnish Border Guard said on Wednesday. Finland began constructing the fence, which will eventually cover 200 km (124 miles) of the border's total 1,344 km (835 mile) length, last year in response to migration via Russia through the border in 2023, which it believes was deliberately orchestrated by Moscow. "The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland," the deputy commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Antti Virta, told Reuters. In Nuijamaa, near one of the closed border crossing points, the scene is tranquil, with just the sound of birdsong to be heard on both sides of the new fence on Wednesday. But Finland has faced criticism, and not just from Russia, over the border closure and fence construction. After decades of peaceful relations with Russia, Finland joined the NATO military alliance two years ago in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting Moscow to threaten Helsinki with retaliation. The same year - in 2023 - some 1,300 migrants from third countries such as Syria and Somalia arrived via Russia at the Finnish border to ask for asylum, until Finland closed all eight passenger crossing points to Russia indefinitely to put an end to the phenomenon. Russia has denied orchestrating the migrant flows. At the time, the Russian government said it deeply regretted Finland's decision to shut crossings on its border, saying it reflected Helsinki's adoption of an anti-Russian stance. Virtually no migrants arrived after Finland closed the border for passengers at the end of 2023, but the Border Guard defended the decision to build the fence. "The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security," Head of Operations Samuel Siljanen said. "From the Border Guard's perspective, it improves our ability to perform border surveillance, to act if there's some kind of disruption at the border or a border incident," he said, adding that the fence was needed to combat orchestrated migration. The European Court of Human Rights has asked Finland to justify the indefinite closure of the border. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, last year warned that Finland's temporary restrictions on asylum applications "would violate international obligations, including the prohibition of refoulement and collective expulsion". The fence consists of 3.5-metre high metal railings topped with a metre-high roll of barbed wire and it is equipped with cameras, sensors, loudspeakers and lights. It will be completed by the end of 2026, the Border Guard said. (Reporting by Anne Kauranen in Nuijamaa, FinlandEditing by Frances Kerry)
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Istanbul peace talks laid bare chasm between Ukraine and Russia
A camera is held as journalists gather outside the Turkish Presidency's Dolmabahce working office, where Russia and Ukraine direct talks might happen, in Istanbul, Turkey, May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger Journalists gather outside the Turkish Presidency's Dolmabahce working office, where Russia and Ukraine direct talks might happen, in Istanbul, Turkey, May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger Journalists gather outside the Turkish Presidency's Dolmabahce working office, where Russia and Ukraine direct talks might happen, in Istanbul, Turkey, May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chairs a meeting between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators in Istanbul, Turkey, May 16, 2025. Arda Kucukkaya/Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chairs a meeting between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators in Istanbul, Turkey, May 16, 2025. Arda Kucukkaya/Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. ISTANBUL - The first high-level talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early months of Moscow's 2022 invasion showed they are far from agreement on steps needed for a ceasefire, even though they promised a major swap of prisoners of war. A window for more diplomacy remains ajar, however, after the sworn enemies agreed in principle to hold further talks, the foreign minister of host country Turkey said, a crucial point for U.S. President Donald Trump, who wants a rapid peace. The negotiators' promises to release a thousand prisoners of war, to meet again for talks and to present their vision for a ceasefire were "substantial steps", said Peter Slezkine, a senior fellow and director of the Russia program at the Stimson Center. "I do think that they are a very hopeful sign, because the two sides coming into direct contact is an important development," he said. Ukraine, the United States and other Western countries have called for a 30-day ceasefire without preconditions to allow for peace talks. Russia, which controls almost a fifth of Ukraine, has shown little appetite for concessions, repeating maximalist demands such as Ukraine withdrawing from and recognising Russian control over four Ukrainian regions that the Kremlin now unilaterally claims as its own but does not fully control. The measured tones of statements by both sides that followed the talks did little to paper over the chasm between them. A Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters that Russia made demands at the talks that were "detached from reality and go far beyond anything that was previously discussed." The source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the talks, said they included ultimatums for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from some of its own territory and "other nonstarters and non-constructive conditions." The Kremlin's chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky suggested after the negotiations that Russia could fight on for as long as it needed to achieve its aims. Invoking tsarist military victories in a 21-year war against Sweden in the 18th century, he said Kyiv was merely deepening its own demise by resisting Russia's peace demands. 'BEGINNING OF THE JOURNEY' The closest things to a blueprint for a peace deal that have yet to emerge are proposals circulated by the United States and counterproposals suggested by Europe and Ukraine at talks last month, which Reuters has obtained. On Saturday, a senior Ukrainian government source said Russia's latest demands in Istanbul included Kyiv renouncing its desire for reparations, international recognition of five parts of Ukraine as Russian and that Ukraine becomes a neutral state. The demands went further than either the U.S. or Ukrainian and European proposals. One of the senior Ukrainian officials who took part in the abortive series of 2022 talks with Russia that failed to stop the all-out war told Reuters that the outcome of the renewed engagement in Istanbul had panned out entirely as expected. "Every journey begins with a single step. This is the beginning of the journey. Demands are always exaggerated at the start of any negotiations. That's classic," the source said. SETBACK FOR EUROPEAN SANCTIONS PUSH The fragile outcome of the talks puts the ball once again in Trump's court. He abruptly changed tack on Thursday, a day before the negotiations, saying he needed to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for there to be a breakthrough. His remark put paid - for now - to Europe's hopes of pushing Washington to impose a fresh blast of sanctions on Russia. If that happened, it would be a milestone moment in Trump's fledgling presidency, during which he has so far shown sympathies towards Russia and torn up the pro-Ukraine policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden. Just last weekend, the leaders of four major European powers travelled to Kyiv, threatening Russia with more sanctions if it did not agree to a 30-day ceasefire from May 12, a position they said the United States supported. When Putin then suggested talks instead of a ceasefire, Trump told Zelenskiy in a social media post to immediately agree and made no mention of looming Russia sanctions, despite signalling for weeks that he is frustrated with what he has said could be foot-dragging by Putin. Zelenskiy, anxious not to alienate Trump, proposed direct talks with Putin. The Kremlin leader did not respond until the eleventh hour, when he named a delegation excluding not only himself but also any of his full-fledged ministers. "You don't send undertakers to a wedding," Vladimir Pastukhov, a Russian political analyst, said of Medinsky's nomination as delegation head, alluding to his role on the Russian delegation in the failed 2022 talks. After the renewed negotiations in Istanbul, the leaders of the four European powers plus Zelenskiy were again on the phone with Trump to discuss how the peace talks went. And publicly the Ukrainian team called again for direct talks between Zelenskiy and Putin, arguing that only the Russian leader has the mandate to make decisions on many of the matters at hand. Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he thought he could make "a deal" with Putin but that he would impose sanctions on Russia if "we're not going to make a deal." 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