EU - Russia Relations: Al dente

Italian PM Matteo Renzi paid Moscow a visit the other day to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin, the first by a EU leader following the all the Ukraine brouhaha. Considering that Italy's anemic economy could use the lifting of the export ban that the European sanctions on Russia triggered, as well as help with the Libya quagmire, and on the other hand the official EU stance towards Russia's belligerence, Renzi had to walk a fine line between cajolement and steadfastness. Putin on the other hand was his usual righteous self.