MOSCOW— Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi visited Moscow Thursday for talks focusing on Russia-EU ties, which have been badly strained by the Ukrainian crisis.
With Russia-West ties at their lowest point since the Cold War times, most European Union leaders have shunned Moscow. Renzi’s trip reflects his desire to improve bilateral economic ties, which have been hurt by the EU sanctions against Russia and Moscow’s retaliatory moves.
Renzi told Russian President Vladimir Putin at the start of their talks Thursday that he wanted to discuss Russia’s relations with the European Union along with other issues, including violence in Libya.
Putin hailed an “active …read more
Source: The Epoch Times