Italy's former prime minister is causing irritation. During an appearance, Berlusconi claims that Russian President Putin gave him "20 bottles of vodka" for his birthday. Another recording of the speech now shows how he wants to legitimize Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has shown understanding for the Russian attack on Ukraine before parliamentarians from his party Forza Italia. "Do you know how the thing with Russia happened? But I ask you for maximum secrecy," said the 86-year-old on a recording of the performance, which the LaPresse news agency published in the evening.
In it he accuses Ukraine of violating the 2014 Minsk peace agreement by attacking the "newly founded republics in Donbass". They then asked Russia's President Vladimir Putin for help. Already on Tuesday, LaPresse published excerpts from the audio material it received, in which Berlusconi said that he was in contact with Putin again. "I've restored my connection with President Putin a bit," Berlusconi said in a recording released by the LaPresse news agency.
Putin sent him "20 bottles of vodka and a very kind letter" for his birthday, the ex-Italian prime minister continued. He "replied with Lambrusco bottles and an equally lovely letter". However, a spokesman for Berlusconi denied that the ex-prime minister had renewed his relationship with Putin. Berlusconi merely told "an old story" about an incident "many years" ago.
Berlusconi's party wants to form a new government with the right-wing extremist Fratelli d'Italia led by election winner Giorgia Meloni and the right-wing populist Lega. "Berlusconi's statements are very serious and incompatible with the positioning of Italy and Europe," criticized the leader of the Social Democrats, Enrico Letta. "Berlusconi's words show that Forza Italia is an unreliable party and clearly sticks with Russia," tweeted Carlo Calenda of the center party Azione.
