MILAN (AP) — Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has blamed the Ukrainian president for the Russian invasion, again confusing him with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s support for Kiev.
Berlusconi, whose party is part of Meloni’s right-wing governing coalition, is a longtime friend and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said the war in Ukraine “would never have happened” if Zelenskyy “stopped attacking the two autonomous republics of Donbass”.
Berlusconi said he judged Zelenskyy’s behavior “very, very negatively”. He also criticized Meloni for meeting Zelenskyy, telling reporters on Sunday that he would not have done the same if he had been prime minister.
The comments prompted a quick rebuttal from Meloni’s office, which said that “the government’s support for Ukraine is solid and unwavering.” Her office said support for Ukraine is clear in both government policy and parliament, and is evident in arms sales to the Ukrainian armed forces.
Meloni met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of a summit in Brussels last week, and she plans to travel to Ukraine ahead of the anniversary of the war.
Meloni has previously warned Berlusconi about his friendship with Putin and has taken a strong pro-NATO and pro-European position on the Russian war in Ukraine. The latest warning came after Berlusconi boasted about resuming contact with Putin and exchanging vodka and wine as gifts on his 86th birthday in September.
In his recent remarks, Berlusconi said US President Joe Biden could help end the fighting by offering Zelenskyy trillions of dollars in recovery funds, similar to the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after World War II.
“Only something like that will convince this gentleman to agree to a ceasefire,” Berlusconi said.