Italy’s right-wing populist ex-president makes no secret of his closeness to Kremlin boss Putin. Now he’s causing a stir again – with statements about the Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyj.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has once again made headlines in his country with statements on the Russian war of aggression. The 86-year-old not only made it clear to journalists in Milan on Sunday evening that he saw Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj as responsible for ordering a ceasefire in order to achieve peace.
He also expressed his disapproval of the behavior of the now highly respected head of state in the West and blamed him for the “devastation” of Ukraine and the many dead soldiers and civilians.
Fears about Italy’s rapprochement with Russia
Several media published videos of Berlusconi’s statements. The head of the conservative Forza Italia party also reflected the purely Russian perspective when he spoke of the “two autonomous people’s republics in Donbass”. Russia had annexed the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in violation of international law.
During the parliamentary elections and the change of government in Rome last fall, Berlusconi repeatedly caused a stir with comments about his friend Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and thus fueled fears that the new Italian government might be rapprocheting with Russia. Berlusconi’s Forza Italia is part of the governing coalition with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ultra-right Fratelli d’Italia and the right-wing populist Lega.
According to the newspapers “La Repubblica” and “Corriere della Sera”, among others, the government palace in Rome felt compelled to clarify after Berlusconi’s statements. They unanimously quoted the Palazzo Chigi as saying that the government was “steadfast and convinced” of its support for Ukraine.
Source: Stern
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