ROME: Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has said discussion was significant to solving the Ukrainian crisis, alerting that the European Union (EU) was preparing sanctions against Russia.
His remarks come after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised the "Lugansk People's Republic" and the "Donetsk People's Republic" as independent and sovereign entities in east Ukraine's Donbass area on Monday.
"Dialogue is crucial," Draghi said at the official opening ceremony of the Council of State's judicial year in Rome, according to reports. The decision by Russia is "an intolerable infringement of Ukraine's democratic sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said, adding that he is "in constant communication with our allies to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis." "We are already defining actions and sanctions against Russia within the European Union," he said.
According to Putin, Russia saw the recognition of the two Donbass "republics" as a vital measure to safeguard both itself and pro-Russian populations in the two territories from western powers, which have been accused of being ignorant to Russia's security concerns.
Russia has pushed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to halt its eastward expansion in Europe on numerous occasions. Ukraine is not a member of the US-led military alliance, although it has indicated interest in joining it on several occasions.
NATO Chief calls for Russia to choose path of diplomacy in Ukraine crisis
