Senior U.S. Diplomat's Trip to Europe: 'Emphasis on Action Regarding Russia and Iran'

According to the U.S. State Department, John Sullivan, the Deputy Secretary of State, is traveling to Austria, Poland, Bulgaria, and several other European countries to discuss 'Russia's violence in Europe,' 'destructive actions' by Tehran and Moscow, and other issues. Sullivan's trip began on December 12 (U.S. time) and will last more than a week. According to a statement released by the U.S. State Department, in Vienna, the capital of Austria, he will 'emphasize the need to counter the destructive actions of Iran and Russia' in meetings with senior officials. In Bratislava, he will ask Slovak officials to use their presidency of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to 'increase responses to Russia's conflicts in Europe.' Sullivan is set to discuss 'the importance of energy resource diversity for the security of Bulgaria and the region' in meetings with Bulgarian officials. Bulgaria's strategic position in the region makes it a key transit route for Russian gas and oil to Western Europe and the Balkans. At the end of his trip, Sullivan will emphasize 'the unwavering commitment of the U.S. to its NATO allies' in Warsaw. According to the U.S. State Department, Sullivan is expected to discuss with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister ways to cooperate that would benefit the security of the American people and help counter terrorist attacks. It seems that some parts of the discussions by the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, especially during the trip to Vienna, will be related to Washington's policies regarding Iran. The Trump administration, which withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran, is trying to convince its European allies to increase pressure on Tehran. Europeans, who, unlike the Trump administration, sought to maintain the 'JCPOA' and continue to emphasize it, have aligned with U.S. protests on other issues such as missile tests and Iran's activities in the region. Iran claims its missile program is 'defensive' and will not abandon it. The Islamic Republic has denied interference in the internal affairs of regional countries. Tehran and Europe are currently trying to establish a special financial mechanism for non-dollar trade with Iran. However, this special mechanism has not yet been implemented, and the main problem cited for this delay is the refusal of European countries to host this special mechanism due to 'heavy pressures' from the U.S. Austria is among the countries that have refused to host this special mechanism.