(Voice of America) President Barack Obama said Russia was a "help" in securing the deal to limit Iran's nuclear program.
In addition to that praise, printed in the New York Times, Obama talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin by telephone Wednesday, thanking Putin for Russia's role in the negotiations.
Simon Saradzhyan, a researcher at Harvard University’s Belfer Center, said Obama was underestimating the role Russia played in securing the agreement. […]
Pavel Baev, a research professor at the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, agreed that “the most valuable Russian contribution” to the Iran nuclear deal was “refraining from playing the role of a spoiler.”
Baev said Moscow's decision not to derail the Iranian nuclear agreement was largely the result of outside pressure.
“I think the main influence was China, which wanted the deal to be concluded and now aims at expanding the energy business with Iran,” Baev said. “Firmly expressed wishes from Beijing cannot be ignored by Moscow in the present state of Russia-China relations.”
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