Berlusconi and Zelenksy, a case in Europe. The socialists on the attack: “The government chooses which side to take”

ROME. “I am horrified by Silvio Berlusconi’s shocking new statements about Ukraine. Is this the position of the Meloni government and of Foreign Minister Tajani of Forza Italia? Something to say Manfred Weber? One year after Putin’s brutal war, it’s time to recognize the facts and choose sides. The president of the Socialists and Democrats (S & D) group in the European Parliament, Iratxe Garcia Perez, writes it in a tweet. A very harsh attack on an issue that is sending the majority into fibrillation and agitating international relations. «Berlusconi is a VIP agitator who acts within the framework of Russian propaganda, bartering Italy’s reputation for his friendship with Putin. His words are damaging to Italy », Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian president, tells La Repubblica. While Paolo Gentiloni is more nuanced: “I think we have to look at the acts and decisions of the Italian government which up to now have been very consistent and positive in support of the common European position on Ukraine”.

“I would never have gone to talk to Zelensky,” the Knight said yesterday. “I judge the behavior of this gentleman very negatively,” he said, referring to Zelensky who, in his opinion, should surrender and rebuild Ukraine with Biden. «If I were the US president, I would say to him: “After the war is over, a 9 trillion dollar Marshall Plan will be at your disposal for reconstruction. On one condition: that you order a ceasefire, also because we will no longer give you neither money nor weapons”. Only such a thing could convince him.’ The statement by the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, also arrived shortly after: «It is not up to me to judge Berlusconi. I limit myself to the facts: since 2014, Russia has insisted that the Minsk agreements be applied for peace in Ukraine. But that was not what the West had in mind.”

The bubo has burst: Palazzo Chigi hastens to issue a note which reiterates that “the government’s support for Ukraine is firm and convinced, as foreseen in the program and as confirmed in all the parliamentary votes of the majority that supports the executive ». Antonio Tajani, foreign minister and vice president of Forza Italia, explains: «We have always sided in favor of the independence of Ukraine, on the side of Europe, NATO and the West. In all venues, we will continue to vote with our government allies on schedule.”

In the meantime, the oppositions attack: «Very bad. He starts again with his Putinian ravings », tweets the leader of Action Carlo Calenda. Instead, the president of Copasir and former defense minister, Lorenzo Guerini, Pd defines “embarrassing” words.

The former Knight is not new to such sorties. During the formation of the government, he was troubled by an audio recorded during a closed-door meeting in which he recounted the “true version” of the conflict according to which “Putin had been forced to intervene in Ukraine at the request of the republics of Donbass after Zelensky had tripled attacks on borders ignoring the treaties”. A few days after that audio, he said that he had received “20 bottles of vodka and a very sweet letter” as a birthday gift from Putin and that he had reciprocated with Lambrusco and “an equally sweet letter”, in defiance of international import bans. -export with Russia.