Vladimir Putin says EU can’t do without Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in an article published Thursday that the EU would not be a global player without his country’s help as he prepared to visit the bloc for the first time in alm
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in an article published Thursday that the EU would not be a global player without his country’s help as he prepared to visit the bloc for the first time in almost a year.
Mr Putin, who starts a two-day visit to Greece on Friday, also called for an energy alliance with Europe and the relaxation of visa rules for Russians travelling to the EU.
“A rightful position of the Old Continent in the new international realities can only be secured by combining capacities of all European countries, including Russia,” Mr Putin said in the article in the Kathimerini daily.
“We believe our relations with the EU do not face any problems that we cannot solve. To get back to a multifaceted partnership, the deficient approach of one-sided relationships should be abandoned. There should be true respect for each other’s opinions and interests”.
Russia and the European Union need to build a ‘an equal and fair dialogue’ as partners to overcome their differences, President Putin said.
Western financial sanctions were imposed on Moscow in 2014 over its role in the Ukraine conflict, where it annexed Crimea. Russia has imposed counter-sanctions against the West, including a ban on agricultural produce.
Greece, along with Cyprus, are among EU member states with close relations to Moscow. They are lukewarm toward sanctions on Russia.
“Russia’s starting point is the need to build an equal and fair dialogue of partners with the European Union on a wide range of issues — from simplifying visa processes to building energy alliances,” he wrote.
Russia has been the main gas supplier for Greece and Mr Putin said his country has always counted on its deep ties with Athens to push ahead with its plans to boost its gas supplies Europe.
EU-Russia relations are at a low ebb over the conflict in Ukraine, with European sanctions still in force against Moscow.
The sanctions on Russia’s banking, defence and energy sectors expire in July. Extending them will require a unanimous vote, and EU leaders are expected to discuss the issue next month.