Russia has upped the United States in a diplomatic tug-of-war over Iran's nuclear programme. While Washington was busy getting Moscow and Beijing on board for tougher sanctions against Teheran, the Kremlin quietly orchestrated a deal between Iran, Turkey and Brazil for swapping Iranian low-enriched uranium for fuel rods for use in a medical reactor. The deal has taken the wind out of the U.S. sails.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had set up the deal in the course of his recent interactions with the leaders of Brazil and Turkey. In April Mr. Medvedev discussed the proposal with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of a BRIC summit in Brazil. Shortly afterwards the Russian leader pursued the initiative in Ankara, where he travelled last week from Damascus, which is closely allied to Teheran. A day after Mr. Medvedev returned from Turkey he played host to Mr. da Silva who stopped over in Moscow on his way to Teheran to put final touches to the proposed fuel swap arrangement.
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