Putin to attend ASEM summit in Milan, may meet Poroshenko

(ANSA) - Moscow, October 9 - Russia President Vladimir Putin will attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Milan October 16-17 and may meet Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko at the event, Kremlin diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by Tass on Thursday. Ushakov added that Putin may also meet Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande in Milan. There will be hopes that a possible meeting between Putin and Poroshenko could help ease the crisis in Ukraine and soothe international tensions.
    Moscow's annexation of Crimea earlier this year and its support for pro-Russia separatists in the east of Ukraine prompted the United States and the European Union to adopt sanctions and drove relations between the West and Russia to their lowest levels since the Cold War.