"If a doctor has been using a therapy for two years, and it is not working, it is time to think about it," the politician said.
He expressed regret that some in Europe still think that the "policy of threats is the only option."
Leitl stressed that Russia is one of the most important partner for Brussels. According to him, Moscow played constructive role in the Iranian nuclear talks and contributed a lot to resolving the Syrian crisis.
Tensions between Russian and the West have deepened over the crisis in Ukraine. Since 2014, the US and Brussels have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russian companies and individuals. In response, Russia introduced a food imports ban against a number of Western countries.
The politician also said that a joint trade zone should be created "across the entire continent, from Lisbon to Vladivostok." The initiative would strengthen the positions of Europe among other global regions, he added.
Negotiations would take two-three years, and by that time sanctions may be lifted, Leitl said.
He also plans to share his ideas with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Next week, Leitl will join Austrian President Heinz Fischer during their visit to Moscow.
Initially, the idea of a united economic community stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok was proposed by Vladimir Putin back in 2010 when he was prime minister of Russia. He presented his vision in an article published in the German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung.
"In the future, we could even consider a free trade zone or even more advanced forms of economic integration. The result would be a unified continental market with a capacity worth trillions of euros," Putin wrote in the article.
He also proposed closer cooperation between Russia and Europe, including in energy, manufacturing industry, and hi-tech segments.
Putin’s idea of a free trade zone across the continent later was supported by many European leaders and politicians.
