Advertisement

Italy's Salvini calls for EU sanctions against Russia to be lifted by end of 2018

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Italy's Salvini calls for EU sanctions against Russia to be lifted by end of 2018
Italy's Interior Minister and deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini holds a press conference in Moscow on July 16, 2018. Vasily Maximov/AFP.

Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said during a visit to Moscow on Monday that he wanted to see EU sanctions against Russia dropped "by the end of the year".

Advertisement

Salvini said he would use any means possible to convince European partners to scrap sanctions brought in over Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and subsequent activity in the east of Ukraine.

"Vetoes are only a last resort but I am not excluding anything," he told a press conference. "Italy is the European country that has suffered the most from these sanctions against Russia." 

He said he wanted to create opportunities for small- and medium-sized businesses in the two countries to work together. Russia banned most food imports from the EU in 2014 as a counter-measure to the Ukraine sanctions. 

Salvini also said Russia's return to the G7 would be "absolutely legitimate". US President Donald Trump made a similar suggestion last month. 

Italy's new Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in June that his government favoured a "revision" of economic sanctions against Russia. 

Questa mattina incontro bello e utile a Mosca con il ministro dell’Interno russo, Vladimir Kolokoltsev. pic.twitter.com/09SZnj8JP4

— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) July 16, 2018

Salvini on Monday met representatives of the state Council for Russian National Security. They discussed opportunities for cooperation between Italy and Russia including in "the fight against Islamic terrorism" as well as illegal immigration.

"This morning I had a beautiful and useful meeting with Russia's interior minister, Vladimir Kolokoltsev," tweeted Salvini soon after. Most bilateral issues discussed focused on security, added Italy's interior minister. 

The day before the Italian minister attended the World Cup final in Moscow. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was also in Russia for the game, and denounced EU sanctions during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Salvini said the Italian prime minister would travel to Russia to meet Putin "in the second half of October".

READ MORE: Germany aims for migration deal with Italy by end of July

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also