European Ministers Discuss Trump, JCPOA, and Russia

The Wall Street Journal reports that foreign ministers of European Union countries plan to discuss potential policies of Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, on Sunday night, including regarding the Iran nuclear deal and relations with Russia. These reports come amid concerns about the possibility of the United States withdrawing from the nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers; the elected President of the United States had repeatedly mentioned during his election campaign that he would cancel this agreement if he won. On November 13, the Wall Street Journal quoted senior European diplomats as saying that they are dealing for the first time in decades with a President in the U.S. whose foreign policies they know little about. Trump himself and his senior foreign policy advisors have not had much contact with European allies; leaders of countries like France, Germany, or Italy recently had phone conversations with Trump in which they emphasized a 'desire for joint cooperation.' This situation prompted Federica Mogherini, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to request a meeting on Sunday night before the official meeting of foreign ministers. Meanwhile, the French and British foreign ministers are reported to not attend this meeting. The British Foreign Office stated that Boris Johnson sees no reason for another meeting outside the main scheduled meeting on Monday: '(During the U.S. elections) a democratic process has taken place, we are now in a transition period, and we will cooperate with both the current and the next government.' The French news agency also reported that the French foreign minister would not attend the Sunday night gathering. The nuclear agreement and the future relations between Washington and Moscow are among the main topics of this meeting. European officials have emphasized that the policy of the incoming U.S. government towards Tehran and Moscow could quickly lead to tensions. Mogherini herself stated on November 10 to CNN that 'the agreement with Iran is not a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Iran; it is a multilateral agreement reached through negotiation, and I personally have direct responsibility for it and currently chair a joint commission that oversees its implementation to ensure compliance from all parties. This agreement is included in a United Nations Security Council resolution.' Iranian officials, including Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, also stated on the same day that the international community expects the future President of the United States to adhere to the multilateral commitments of the JCPOA. The Wall Street Journal reports that EU foreign ministers are preparing for potential tensions over the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. In discussions with Tehran, Britain, Germany, and France were also present. According to the newspaper, any potential unilateral action by Trump to cancel the nuclear agreement could lead to serious disagreements in relations between Washington and its European allies. If Washington unilaterally decides to abandon the JCPOA, European allies may not join the process of imposing new international sanctions against Tehran. Some European officials have suggested that Trump may actually seek to focus more on the implementation of the JCPOA rather than abandoning it, although there is no certainty in this regard. Meanwhile, another topic is the potential rapprochement between Washington and Moscow; something that, according to some media, including the Wall Street Journal, could exacerbate divisions within the EU over the future of sanctions against Russia. The United States has imposed relatively extensive sanctions against Moscow following the Ukraine crisis and accusations against Russia regarding its intervention and support for separatists. These sanctions must be reapproved or lifted by the end of January, which is when Donald Trump will take over the U.S. government. At the same time, the issue of Russia's support for Bashar al-Assad's regime and sanctions related to military operations and attacks in areas like Aleppo is also on the table. During his election campaign, Trump praised Vladimir Putin and suggested the possibility of cooperation between the two sides in Syria; cooperation that did not develop much during Barack Obama's presidency due to deep differences between Washington and Moscow over the future of Bashar al-Assad's government. A senior European diplomat told the Wall Street Journal that Trump's election as the future President of the United States has complicated the issue of continuing sanctions. The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, will take over the U.S. government in the upcoming January. He is currently engaged in meetings and discussions with his advisors to select members of his government.