Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has sparked outrage with pro-Putin statements. He holds Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responsible for the war in Ukraine and threatens to stop arms deliveries. In doing so, he embarrassed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and turned Kiev against him.
If Zelenskyy had stopped attacks on the two separatist republics of the Donbass, there would have been no war, Berlusconi told reporters in Milan on Sunday. “That is why I rate this gentleman’s behavior very, very negatively,” said the 86-year-old leader of the conservative party Forza Italia, which belongs to the Italian government. Berlusconi also called on the US to put pressure on Zelenskyj. At the same time, he threatened to cut off arms shipments to Ukraine and promised a massive aid program if Ukraine agreed to an immediate ceasefire.
Government wants to smooth out waves
Meloni’s office then said in Rome on Sunday that the Italian government is “resolutely and confidently” supporting Ukraine. The head of government wants to travel to Kiev in February. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stressed that Ukraine’s independence has always been advocated, and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed this view. “The actions of this government, approved by parliament and by all political forces, speak for themselves. Italy’s position cannot be questioned and will not be questioned by any political force, neither the majority nor much of the opposition,” the defense minister said.
Sharp criticism came from Ukraine. “Berlusconi’s pointless accusations against Zelenskyy are an attempt to kiss Putin’s hands, which are bloodied up to the elbows. It is an attempt by Berlusconi to prove his loyalty to the Russian dictator,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Facebook. “By spreading Russian propaganda, Berlusconi encourages Moscow to continue its crimes and therefore bears political and moral responsibility. Instead, we appreciate Meloni’s prompt response, reaffirming her unwavering support for Ukraine,” Nikolenko said.
“VIP agitator of Russian propaganda”
“Berlusconi is a VIP agitator in Russian propaganda,” Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podoliak told Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Monday. “Berlusconi traded your country’s reputation for his friendship with dictator Putin,” Podoljak stressed. Italy suffers.
Critical reactions to the villains of Berlusconi, who had often boasted of his friendship with Vladimir Putin before Russia invaded Ukraine, also came from the EU parliament. “I am shocked by Berlusconi’s shocking new statements about Ukraine. Is this the position of the Meloni government and Forza Italia foreign minister Tajani, or does (EPP chief) Manfred Weber have something to say about it? One year after Putin’s brutal war, it’s time to face the facts and take sides,” tweeted the leader of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, Iratxe García Pérez (see below).
Commission emphasizes “European position”
The European Commission responded promptly. “I think we need to look at the actions and decisions of the Italian government, which I think have so far been very consistent and positive in supporting the common European position on Ukraine,” said EU Economy Commissioner and former Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.
Moscow initially reacted cautiously. “It is not for me to judge Berlusconi, these are matters that concern Italians. I limit myself to the facts, and they say that for eight years, since 2014, Russia has been pushing for the implementation of the Minsk agreements for peace in Ukraine,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Source: Krone
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