BRUSSELS—Russian President Vladimir Putin and his European Union counterparts sparred on energy issues during a summit that made little progress on economic ties or trade conflicts.

Mr. Putin and the EU's two presidents, Herman Van Rompuy and José Manuel Barroso, sought to avoid the public rows that have marred previous meetings. Mr. Putin said the two sides had no conflicts and Mr. Barroso welcomed "dense, intense" talks on a wide range of issues.

But no agreements were signed and the two sides didn't even patch up differences on modest objectives such as updating an agreement aimed at easing the visa application for certain groups of Russians wanting to spend time in the EU.

Bilateral trade between the two European giants has surged again in recent years and relations have thawed from the low point after Russia's 2008 invasion of Georgia and the death of whistleblowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow jail the following year.

Russia has long complained about EU energy rules that force the splitting up of giant energy utilities. Moscow also protested September's decision by EU antitrust authorities to begin an investigation into suspected efforts by state-owned energy company OAO Gazprom to lock up markets on Europe's eastern flank.