Italy’s Berlusconi says he exchanged ‘sweet letters’ with Putin
- Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi said he’s exchanged letters and gifts with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to an audio recording
- But a spokesman for Berlusconi ‘s Forza Italia party denied the former premier had renewed contact with Putin, calling it an ‘old story’
Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said he was back in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin and had recently exchanged “sweet letters” with him, according to an audio released by an Italian news agency.
Berlusconi, 86, often boasted of his friendship with Putin until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and created a storm last month when he said Putin had been pushed into the war and wanted to put “decent people” in charge of Kyiv.
“I have got back in touch a bit with Putin, quite a lot, in the sense that for my birthday he sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very sweet letter,” Berlusconi told his lower house lawmakers according to the audio issued by news agency LaPresse.
“I answered him with some bottles of Lambrusco (wine) and an equally sweet letter,” said Berlusconi, whose birthday was on September 29.
He added that he was extremely worried about the situation in Ukraine but could not give his true opinion because “if it gets in the press there’ll be a disaster”.
The comments come as Berlusconi negotiates cabinet posts in a new government following Italy’s September 25 election which brought victory to the rightist alliance led by Giorgia Meloni, who is expected to be named prime minister next week.
