AKIPRESS.COM - Commenting on the Ukrainian crisis Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi urged to give up calls for a new Cold War and underlined that Europe should not be built in opposition to Russia, The Voice of Russia reported.

“Within the EU we need to respect the cry for freedom of the Ukrainian people but we cannot build Europe in opposition to our neighbor – Russia,” Renzi said speaking at the Democratic Party PD National Assembly late Tuesday.

The Prime Minister of Italy, which has recently taken over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Greece, noted that “today we do not need to declare a Cold War, but should be capable of creating means for a dialogue.”

EU leaders are set to discuss additional sanctions against Russia over the Ukrainian crisis later Wednesday. Last week, 11 new names have already been added to the sanctions list.

The United States and the European Union imposed targeted sanctions against Russian officials and companies in response to the Crimea's annexation to Russia, following a referendum held in the region back in March.