"The recent events have shown us that Europe is not united. The crisis with Russia and in Ukraine have proven that, in fact, the same as the migrant crisis [in Europe]," Vice President for Europe at Confindustria Lisa Ferrarini said.
Russia's relations with the West deteriorated significantly in 2014 over the Ukraine crisis. The European Union, along with the United States and a number of other nations, accused Russia of interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs, imposing several rounds of sanctions against Moscow. Russian authorities have repeatedly denied the allegations.
Meanwhile, Europe has been facing a major influx of migrants, mostly from the Middle East and North Africa, seeking asylum in prosperous countries of the European Union.
According to EU external border protection agency Frontex, the total number of refugees detected at bloc's borders between January and July 2015 stands at over 340,000, which is three times higher compared to the same period in 2014.
