“The war is Zelensky’s fault”: international reactions to Berlusconi’s words

It couldn’t be otherwise. Silvio Berlusconi’s audio on the Ukrainian situation released yesterday did not go unnoticed abroad. On the western front, the overwhelming majority of media outlets reported the news with a stir.

The Guardian he wrote of the “86-year-old billionaire who told Italian TV that Putin, his old friend, was pushed to invade Ukraine by the Russian people and by ministers who wanted Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration to be replaced by decent people.” The Financial Times spoke of “bromance” by Cav. with Putin, explaining how his words rekindled seething concerns about the direction of future Italian foreign policy and the country’s approach to war. “Two of the allies on which the coalition depends, Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini of the Lega, are both longtime admirers of Putin, who have made clear their unease with the tough position of the EU towards Moscow”. He echoes the German newspaper Die Weltwho claims that the former prime minister has once again fueled doubts about the determination of the future Italian government to take action against Moscow.

Bloomberg today also dedicates an article to the story titled “Berlusconi’s Italy blames Zelensky for the Russian invasion”. Yesterday another piece from the New York press agency reported the contents of the audio of the Cav .: “Putin sent him some vodka and a sweet letter”.

“The question that arises now is whether the elderly leader of the center-right is able to keep his promise to act as a moderating and pro-European force in the next Italian government”, wrote the New York Times already the day before the audio published by LaPresse. The Washington Poston the other hand, he focused more on Giorgia Meloni’s reaction to the audio and the fact that the leader of the FdI barked “a warning to Berlusconi about his ties with Putin”.

Overseas, some comments would also have come from institutional top management. Repubblica reports on how an authoritative diplomatic source close to Joe Biden called the audio of the Knight “horrible”. The White House line remains that of continuing to collaborate with the new Italian government, especially in light of the positions of Giorgia Meloni, whose statements on the balance have never gone unnoticed and have been welcomed. Charles Kupchandirector for Europe at Obama’s National Security Council, said the audios “confirm concern that the shift to the right of the European political center of gravity has implications for the EU’s ability to maintain consensus on Ukraine. “.