Italian State Council Chairman Franco Frattini said that in conditions when the European Union needs Russian gas, it is difficult to impose sanctions against Moscow. He told RIA Novosti about this.

“When there is a need for Russian gas, it is difficult to impose sanctions against Russia. It's all about the diplomatic balance," he said.

According to him, if Russian President Vladimir Putin gave guarantees for EU gas supplies, "this gesture would be very much appreciated, since it is obvious that many Europeans depend on Russian gas supplies."

Earlier, Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Manlio Di Stefano announced the need to reduce dependence on Russian gas at the expense of Azerbaijan, Algeria and Turkmenistan. He spoke about this in an interview with la Repubblica.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said that the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline "objectively weakens the position" of Kiev in negotiations on gas supplies from Russia, which remains indispensable for supplying the European Union with fuel.

bbabo.Net