Russian President Vladimir Putin has a message for the European Union: let's put the Ukraine conflict behind us and get back to business. The president will use his annual address at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to call for normalizing ties between the world's biggest energy exporter and largest trading bloc, though he'll stop short of offering concessions on Ukraine, according to three officials with knowledge of the preparations, who asked to remain unidentified to discuss confidential information. Attendees at the country's showpiece investor event will include Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
Bloomberg: Putin wants to get back to business with the EU
Russian President Vladimir Putin (2nd R) meets with former French president Nicolas Sarkozy (L) at the Konstantin (Konstantinovsky) Palace, on June 15, 2016 in Saint Petersburg, on the eve of the start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
