Speaking at the meeting of the international roundtable in Kyiv, he said that the European Union understands that it needs to strengthen relations with Russia and improve cooperation. However, in 2014, the relations were almost interrupted when Russia invaded Ukraine, annexed Crimea and provided very serious support to the so-called "separatist forces" in eastern Ukraine, he said.
Read alsoHead of EU Delegation to Ukraine Mingarelli: We hope EU will be able to maintain its unity on Russia sanctionsAccording to Mingarelli, today Russia is the main strategic challenge and a threat in the Black Sea region.
He said that the annexation of Crimea became the main means that helped the Russian Federation strengthen its military presence in the Black Sea region, which causes serious concern of the European Union.
As UNIAN reported earlier, NATO allies plan to strengthen their presence in the Black Sea in response to Russia's actions.
