Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi received several bottles of vodka from Putin for his birthday. That said the 86-year-old Tuesday. His good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has once again caused a stir in Italy.
“I have somewhat resumed relations with President Putin. He sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very sweet letter for my birthday. I answered him with bottles of Lambrusco and an equally sweet letter,” said Silvio Berlusconi, four-time prime minister of Italy, according to a recording. Italian news agencies distributed this on Tuesday.
Ancient or current history?
Her staff interpreted this as saying that Berlusconi had resumed relations with Putin after the attack on Ukraine. The politician’s shop assistants dispute this version. “Berlusconi told parliamentarians an old story dating back to 2008,” said Antonio Tajani, Forza Italia’s number two. Berlusconi then also assured that the story would not have happened on his last birthday on September 29.
Still, the 86-year-old was criticized. Matteo Richetti described the words as “disturbing”. This would mean that two future ruling parties would continue to maintain relations with Moscow. Richetti is the leader of the center parties Azione and Italia Viva. In a September interview, Berlusconi caused a stir when he said Putin had been “pushed” into the war in Ukraine.
The two politicians are said to have had a friendly relationship since they met at the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001. In 2017, Berlusconi flew to Moscow to celebrate his 65th birthday with Putin.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
