EU should drop Russian sanctions - Prodi

(ANSA) - Rome, January 23 - Twice Italian premier and former European Commission president Romano Prodi has called on the European Union to move ahead of United States President Donald Trump's expected overhaul of relations with Moscow by dropping sanctions on Russia.
    "If Trump thought carefully about what he said over the last few days, and he surely he did think about it, his aim is to further split Europe," Prodi said in an interview published Monday by Turin-based daily La Stampa.
    Prodi spoke about a "revolution in relations with the EU" adding that "it does not seem to me that Europe has reacted". "Europe at the moment is inexistent. I'm surprised no one has called an extraordinary summit," he said "I think it is necessary to react in a hurry, above all, organise a 'counterattack' on Russian sanctions...
    "It's necessary to immediately remove the sanctions on Russia. I'm convinced of this. "Let's get in first and not let the United States have a privileged role in relations with Russia".