Moscow Ready to Join EU Safeguard Measures Amid US Exit From JCPOA

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia stands ready to join the EU package of protective measures elaborated after the United States pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.

"In any case, we will firmly support the continued implementation of the JCPOA, we will back the relevant efforts taken by the European Union. We are ready to join the package of safeguard measures developed by the European Union," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said at the Association of European Businesses (AEB) XV Flagship Conference.

The diplomat noted that the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal was mainly detrimental to EU companies.

Earlier in June, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire insisted on European countries pushing back harder against the Trump administration over the Iran nuclear deal and not act as US "vassals". He also proposed organizing a European body that would have the same powers as the US Justice Department, to punish foreign companies for their trade practices.

READ MORE: Iran Undecided About Participation in Nuclear Deal After US Exit — Minister

On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington was withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Tehran, a decision that has been strongly criticized by other signatories to the deal, including the EU, Russia, and China.

The Iran nuclear deal was signed on July 14, 2015, by the P5+1 countries — the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany — and the European Union obliges Tehran to maintain a peaceful nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.