European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is the highest ranking EU official to visit Russian Federation after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, which trigged USA and EU sanctions against Russian Federation. “I think that’s changed. But we don’t need them to constantly interfere in our affairs and tell us how to live and prevent Europe to build relations with us”, Putin said.
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He made his comments on the same day as the European Union announced it would extend sanctions against Russian Federation imposed in retaliation for Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. He argued that the West has encouraged Ukraine’s non-compliance to the deal by making lifting the sanctions contingent on implementing the agreement.
Juncker said he was aware that some people might not approve of his visiting Russian Federation for talks at a time when European Union sanctions on Moscow remained in place, but that he thought it was the right thing to do.
“There is nothing more democratic than elections”, Putin said.
Mr Putin’s comments follow a rocky period in US-Russia relations, which have been undermined by disagreements over issues such as Ukraine and Syria.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who sat next to Putin on the stage, came to the economic forum with a large delegation of businessmen. “This is the only way to lift the economic sanctions”, he said. But he suggested it was not a foregone conclusion that the other, more direct sanctions against Russian Federation would be extended in coming weeks.
Delegates from global companies with projects in Russian Federation including BP, Total and ExxonMobil have attended the St. Petersburg forum.
U.S. authorities had advised businesses against attending the forum.
The Russian leader said he expects the U.S.to work with its allies in the region to encourage the Syrian opposition to engage in a constructive dialogue with the government.
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Putin met Royal Dutch Shell chief Ben van Beurden before the energy giant signed a memorandum of understanding with Russian gas giant Gazprom on the potential construction of a major liquefied gas plant in the country.
