Putin visits Italy with one eye on EU sanctions

C?HAN Photo

President Vladimir Putin will be on the lookout for signs of dissent over European Union sanctions on Russia when he visits Italy on June 10, but he is likely to be disappointed.

The Russian leader is due to meet Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the Expo 2015 global fair in Milan, two weeks before the EU decides whether to extend the economic sanctions imposed on Moscow after it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. 

Although Putin can expect a friendly reception, Italy is unlikely to break ranks, especially after G7 leaders warned at a summit attended by Renzi that they might step up the sanctions if violence in Ukraine increases. 

But Russia enjoys better relations with Italy than with most of its EU partners. It regards Rome as a reluctant backer of sanctions and a leading proponent of dialogue with Moscow. 

Reacting to G7 criticism on June 8, the Kremlin said there were nuances of opinion in the group of industrialised nations, an apparent reference to Italy, and Moscow has sought to exploit divisions over the sanctions. 

"My Italian partners have always put the interests of Italy, of the Italian people, first and believed that in order to serve the interests of their country, including economic and political interests, they must maintain friendly relations with Russia,"   Putin told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. 

Putin - who will also hope for a sympathetic reception in Vatican City from Pope Francis, who has played a behind-the-scenes role in discussions on a Palestinian state and in U.S.-Cuba relations - referred to a "special relationship" with Rome. 

Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, however, signalled no change in Italy's stance on Ukraine in a separate interview with...

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