Former Italy PM Berlusconi says Russia's Putin gifted him vodka, sweet note

Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who has a longtime friendship with Vlimir Putin, has been caught on audiotape boasting that he h recently reconnected with Russian president and exchanged gifts of vodka, wine and “sweet” letters.

Italy’s LaPresse news agency published what it said were comments by Berlusconi, 86, to his center-right Forza Italia lawmakers during a meeting this week in lower Chamber of Deputies.

“I have reconnected with President Putin,” Berlusconi was heard saying. “He sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a really sweet letter. I responded with 20 bottles of Lambrusco (a sparkling red wine) and a similarly sweet letter.” occasion was Berlusconi’s 86th birthday on Sept. 29, LaPresse said, four days after right won most votes in Italy’s national election.

comments me front-page news as Italy’s conservative coalition heed by Giorgia Meloni, who has strongly backed Ukraine in Russia’s war, is divvying Cabinet posts ahe of formal consultations this week to form a new government. Forza Italia, junior member of coalition, is gunning for foreign ministry, among or ministries.

In audiotape, Berlusconi also again seemed to defend Moscow’s position in war, relaying to his lawmakers that Russian officials have repeatedly said West is at war with Russia “because we’re giving Ukraine weapons and financing.”

It’s not first time Berlusconi has seemingly defended Putin. Late in campaign, he seemed to justify Russia's invasion by saying Putin was forced into it by pro-Moscow separatists in Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

“ troops were supposed to enter, reach Kyiv within a week, replace Zelensky’s government with decent people and n leave,” Berlusconi told his favorite late-night talk show host on Sept. 22. Later he backtracked, saying his words h been “oversimplified.”

Berlusconi’s office similarly tried to deny his audiotape comments about birthday vodka. In a statement Tuesday, his office insisted that he hn’t restarted relations with Putin and that Berlusconi “told an old story to lawmakers about a episode that occurred years ago.”

Berlusconi has a long, friendly history with Putin : He has entertained Russian leer at his Sardinian villa and even visited Crimea with Putin in 2014 after Russian leer annexed peninsula from Ukraine.

Berlusconi’s latest comments are likely to complicate relations with Meloni, who is expected to be tapped to become Italy’s next premier. Meloni’s far-right credentials and past euroskeptic views have raised eyebrows in some European capitals, but she has staunchly supported NATO and Ukraine in war.

Alrey relations between two soured over Berlusconi's insistence on placing a loyalist in her Cabinet and over Forza Italia's refusal to vote for her candidate for Senate president.

Image: Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP