Italy’s playing host to the Russian President at the Milan Expo.<br /><br /> Prime Minister Matteo Renzi offered no sign of breaking ranks with his European partners over sanctions against Moscow.<br /><br /> Nonetheless, Vladimir Putin praised Italy as one of Russia’s most important trade partners. “It’s a huge investor in Russia’s economy. We continue to work together on an international stage, striving to take into account and respect the interests of one another.”<br /><br /> Renzi made no explicit reference to the Ukraine crisis but he he did say there was a need to face “challenges over divergent positions.”<br /><br /> The meeting comes two weeks before the EU is due to decide whether to extend economic sanctions against Moscow.
