Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi welcomed visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday but showed little sign of breaking ranks with international partners over European Union sanctions against Moscow.

Two weeks before the EU is due to decide whether to extend economic sanctions over Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, Renzi praised the “traditional Italian Russian friendship” but spoke of “elements of division” over Ukraine.

“We are in a difficult international situation, not just on account of issues which do not unite us but also for issues which should see us ever more on the same side in a very complicated international scenario, starting with the global threat of terrorism,” he said at a ceremony at the Milan Expo.

Russia enjoys better relations with Italy than with most other EU countries. It regards Rome as a reluctant backer of sanctions and a leading proponent of dialogue with Moscow.

Russia regards Rome as a reluctant backer of sanctions

The meeting between Putin and Renzi took place after fighting between Ukraine government forces and pro-Russian separatists flared last week after months of relative calm.

Both Renzi and Putin said that the key to a resolution of the conflict was full implementation of the Minsk peace accord, which Renzi said would end “the phase of tensions, difficulties, attrition, sanctions and counter sanctions.”

Putin, who rejects accusations that Russia is to blame for sponsoring the conflict, pointed the finger at Kiev.

In a more conciliatory vein, Renzi said he was looking forward to attending the 2018 soccer World Cup in Russia with the Italian team, implicitly ruling out Italy’s involvement in any move to boycott the event over the corruption scandals which have shaken the global football body FIFA.

Reacting to G7 criticism on Monday, the Kremlin said there were nuances of opinion in the group of industrialised nations, an apparent reference to Italy, and Moscow has sought to exploit divisions over the sanctions.

“My Italian partners have always put the interests of Italy, of the Italian people, first and believed that in order to serve the interests of their country, including economic and political interests, they must maintain friendly relations with Russia,” Putin told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Putin referred to a “special relationship” with Rome. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni signalled no change in Italy’s stance on Ukraine in a separate interview with Corriera della Sera.