Italy Not Giving Up Dialogue With Russia Despite Ukraine Issue

Rome is still committed to dialogue with Moscow despite the Ukrainian crisis, the Italian defense minister said.

ROME (Sputnik) — Italy remains committed to dialogue with Russia despite the row over Ukraine, Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti said Friday.

"Italy’s policy is that we need a dialogue with Russia," Pinotti told reporters in in Italy's port city of Bari. "We do not underestimate a breach of law that took place in Ukraine, but we still believe we need this dialogue with Russia."

The Italian defense minister also confirmed that Italian troops would be deployed to Latvia in 2018. This decision was announced at the NATO summit in July.

The start of a war in eastern Ukraine and Crimea’s referendum on joining Russian in 2014 strained relations between Europe and Russia and led to a NATO buildup on Russia’s western frontier.