By John Phillips
ROME
There is progress in talks between Russia and Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Friday.
There has been a “step forward” toward ending the Ukraine conflict, Renzi said, at discussions in Milan between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroschenko. .
However Renzi admitted that “there are differences” between the two leaders who met on the fringes of a Europe-Asia business conference being held in the northern Italian city. Also holding talks at the Milan prefect’s office were British Prime Minister David Cameron, French president Francois Hollande, EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy and EU Commission chief Josè Manuel Barroso.
Renzi said that European leaders had indicated their willingness to help with the “control of frontiers” in Ukraine “also using drones.”
“Today we have new technology at our disposal,” Renzi added, “we can’t accept the instability in Ukraine but we have to include Russia in the big international questions. Russia’s role could be bigger for Ebola, Isis, Syria, Iraq, Libya and the other international crises.”
“Vladimir and Petro have discussed in a clear and frank way. There won’t be immediate progress and for these reasons we hope that in the coming hours, coming days and weeks we will go on to reach a crucial point of the Ukraine crisis. We have underlined the sense of urgency.”
Putin for his part described the meeting with Poroschenko as “good, positive.”
Although Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had two hours of talks on Ukraine in Milan onThursday evening, “there are still differences on the genesis of the internal Ukrainian conflict, as well as the main causes of what is happening now,” a spokesman for Putin said.
On arrival in Milan from Belgrade on Thursday Putin warned that Russia would cut gas supplies to Europe if Ukraine did not respect agreements.
www.aa.com.tr/en
