So far, Russian officials and commentators appear pleased with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the agreement between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) and Iran that addresses Tehran’s nuclear weapons program. Whether they will feel the same way next year, or five years from now, is less clear.
President Vladimir Putin set the tone in a statement, saying, “Russia welcomes the agreement reached today in Vienna,” and “We are satisfied that the solution found is based on the principle of phasing and mutuality, which our country has been consistently supporting at every stage of these complicated negotiations.” Nevertheless, although the Kremlin leader was unambiguously positive in assessing the deal, he did not seem especially enthusiastic — that is, he did not describe it as a “victory” or express a sense of triumph. Russia’s main government-run television channel left that role to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, prominently broadcasting his remark, “Today we are making history.”
