Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Berlusconi blames Zelenskyy for war in Ukraine

Berlusconi blames Zelenskyy for war in Ukraine

‘All he had to do was to stop attacking the two autonomous republics of the Donbas and this would not have happened,’ ex-PM said.
Who’s responsible for the war in Ukraine? Not Vladimir Putin but Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

“All [Zelenskyy] had to do was to stop attacking the two autonomous republics of the Donbas and this would not have happened,” Berlusconi told Italian media on Sunday evening after voting in Lombardy regional elections, which are set to be the first major political test for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s rightwing coalition.

“I judge, very, very negatively the behavior of this gentleman,” Berlusconi added.

He went on to say the war could end if U.S. President Joe Biden threatened to stop sending military and financial aid to Ukraine and asked Zelenskyy to order a ceasefire in exchange for a “Marshall Plan of six, seven, eight, nine billion dollars” to rebuild the country.

Berlusconi, who was prime minister for close to a decade, is now a senator and heads the conservative Forza Italia, which is a junior member of the governing coalition.

The 86-year-old has described Putin as one of his closest friends, and was among the few Western politicians on the Kremlin’s end-of-year greeting list.

In an interview with public broadcaster Rai last September, Berlusconi said the plan behind Russia’s attack on Ukraine was for Russian troops to enter “in a week to replace Zelenskyy’s government with a government of decent people.”

The Italian government reaffirmed its “firm and convinced” support for Ukraine, in a statement issued just an hour after Berlusconi’s comments, according to Italian wire ANSA.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani — a member of Forza Italia and a close Berlusconi ally — later said on Twitter his party had “always stood for the independence of Ukraine, on the side of Europe, NATO and the West.”

Asked about Meloni’s recent lashing out at France for not inviting her to a dinner with Zelenskyy in Paris, Berlusconi said he “would never have gone there to talk to Zelenskyy” if he had been in office.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy’s office, said in response to Berlusconi’s comments that the former Italian PM is a “VIP agitator who acts within the framework of Russian propaganda, trades Italy’s reputation for his friendship with Putin. His words are damaging to Italy,” according to ANSA.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
×