Majority of Italians Oppose Anti-Russia Sanctions - Senator

SEVASTOPOL (Sputnik) — Most Italians do not support the sanctions against Russia, Italian Senator Paola De Pin said during a meeting with the Crimean authorities on Friday.

"The most important thing is the will of the people. If Italians could make a decision on their own, the majority would be against sanctions,"  De Pin said.

A delegation of five Italian senators are in Crimea for a three-day visit to discuss economic and cultural issues. During their stay in Crimea they will visit the cities of Sevastopol, Yalta and Simferopol and hold a number of meetings with local authorities.

De Pin stressed that the senators visiting Crimea were opposed to the current government in Italy. She said that the sanctions were harming the economic relations between Russia and Italy, adding that significant damage had been caused to entrepreneurs in her country due to the trade restrictions.

In 2014, the European Union imposed sanctions against Russia, having accused the Moscow of exacerbating the Ukrainian crisis. Russia dismissed the allegations and introduced a food embargo in response.