- The U.S.'s top envoy to the Iran nuclear talks, Robert Malley, said that efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are unlikely and that the chances of reaching a deal are "tenuous at best" (BBG)
- Malley added that he believes the U.S. and its EU partners may provide a small sanctions relief package in exchange for Iran's nuclear program being rolled back, which could save the deal
- Meanwhile, negotiations to reach the deal have stalled since March, and other diplomats have cautioned that progress is becoming increasingly unlikely
- The EU can still reach an agreement on a Russian oil embargo in the next few days or resort to "other instruments" if no agreement is reached said Germany's economy minister, Robert Habeck, during G7 talks on Thursday
- The European Council is set to meet on the May 30, and its President, Charles Michel, said on Wednesday that he believes an agreement may be reached before then
- Hungary, on the other hand, continues to be a stumbling block to the EU sanctions needed for consensus, insisting on energy investment before supporting the Russian ban