Italy gives Putin the stage to make case against sanctions
ROME, Italy: Russian President Vladimir Putin used a trip to Italy on Wednesday to press his case against international sanctions and was urged by Pope Francis to make a “sincere effort” for peace in Ukraine.
After telling Italian premier Matteo Renzi that Western sanctions imposed over Russia’s actions in Ukraine would cost Italian companies a billion euros, Putin spent 50 minutes chatting to the pope at the Vatican.
A Vatican statement said the pontiff had urged the Russian leader, and other parties to the Ukraine conflict, to make a “sincere effort” for peace.
“The holy father stressed that there has to be an important and sincere effort to achieve peace (in Ukraine),” the statement said.
“There was agreement on the importance of rebuilding an atmosphere of dialogue and that all the parties commit to applying the Minsk (ceasefire) accords.”
Speaking two days after the G7 threatened tougher measures against Moscow, Putin told a press conference in Milan that many contracts signed by Italian firms had been stalled by the sanctions and may have to be torn up.
“Italian companies missed out WARSAW: Three Polish government ministers and the speaker of parliament resigned Wednesday over a high profile eavesdropping scandal just four months ahead of a general election which polls show could usher the conservative opposition into power.
Centrist Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz announced that Parliamentary Speaker Radoslaw Sikorski and the ministers of the treasury, health and sports had resigned as her unpopular government struggles to hold onto power.
Polish media on Tuesday was awash with news of the publication on the Internet of some 2,500 pages of leaked transcripts from a government eavesdropping scandal that rocked Poland in June last year. — AFP on a billion euros,” he said.
“They could have given their enterprises work, created jobs. That didn’t happen because of the sanctions.”
Putin also said he was convinced sanctions would not be sustained indefinitely.
“I count on the fact that ... sooner or later, we will get away from the restrictions that we are encountering today.”
He took a swipe at the G7 group of leading industrial nations – made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – describing it as “not an organisation, just a club.”
Renzi struck a markedly conciliatory tone by stressing that the world wanted Russia back on board to help resolve problems in places such as Iraq, Syria and Libya.
Active Russian support for efforts to promote peace in Ukraine would “allow us to push the one element of divergence between us off the table,” Renzi said in comments that contrasted sharply with US President Barack Obama’s description this week of Putin as trying to relive the glories of the Soviet empire. — AFP
Polish government hit by resignations over eavesdropping scandal The holy father stressed that there has to be an important and sincere effort to achieve peace (in Ukraine). There was agreement on the importance of rebuilding an atmosphere of dialogue and that all the parties commit to applying the Minsk (ceasefire) accords.
Vatican statement