A U.S. economic offering, intended to help Russia end its nuclear assistance to Iran, has met resistance in Moscow, the Washington Post reported today (see GSN, Oct. 11).

The United States offered to lift restrictions on the Russian importation of U.S.-controlled spent nuclear fuel — a move officials believe could mean billions of dollars in potential storage and reprocessing profits — in return for a Russian halt of construction on a nuclear reactor in the Iranian coastal city of Bushehr.

The United States currently controls the disposition of 90 percent of the world’s spent fuel.  Environmentalists and some U.S. lawmakers oppose the lifting of the restriction, saying Russian will poison its environment and will not provide sufficient security.

Russia, however, is hesitant to forgo the $800 million Iranian Bushehr project in favor of U.S. promises that officials say are unreliable.  Specifically, Russian officials are upset that Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions are still in place — the United States was to lift them return for Russian support in the war on terrorism.  Jackson-Vanik language bars normal U.S. trade relations with countries that do not have market economies or open emigration policies.

“It’s better to have a bird in the hand than two in the bush,” Russian Atomic Energy Ministry spokesman Yuri Bespalko said.

John Bolton, U.S. undersecretary of state, is visiting Moscow today and plans to discuss the Iranian issue with Russian officials (Peter Baker, Washington Post, Oct. 22).

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