audio berlusconi vs zelensky what he said

A second ‘stolen’ audio by Silvio Berlusconi is sowing new tensions in the centre-right majority and, this time, also in Forza Italia. From October 20, first party consultations in the Quirinal for the formation of the government. Which, however, already appears in difficulty before being born.

After the October 18 La Presse exclusive with Berlusconi’s comments on the “rekindled relationship” with Putin, the “bottles of vodka” and the “sweet letter” that the Russian autocrat would have written to him for his birthday, today October 19 popped up new audio. Always taken up by an anonymous assistant who then turned it to La Presse. With what intention it is not clear. But the disruptive political effects on the nascent Meloni government are certainly imminent.

What did Berlusconi say

“I don’t see how Putin and Zelensky can sit at a mediation table,” the Forza Italia executive said in the second audio. “Because there is no possible way. Zelensky, in my opinion… forget it, I can’t say…”. “Do you know how the Russian affair happened? pursues the knight. “Even on this, however, I beg you the utmost confidentiality. Do you promise? It happened like this: in 2014 in Minsk, Belarus, an agreement was signed between Ukraine. And the two newly formed republics of Donbass for a peace agreement without anyone attacking the other. Ukraine throws this treaty in hell a year later and begins to attack the borders of the two republics”.

Zelensky under rite

“The two republics – continues Berlusconi – suffer losses among the military which, I am told, number 5-6-7 thousand dead. Zelensky arrives, triples the attacks on both republics. Desperate, the two republics send a delegation to Moscow and finally manage to talk to Putin. They say ‘Vladimir we don’t know what to do, you defend us’. He is against any initiative, he resists, he is under strong pressure from all over Russia. And then he decides to invent a special operation”. With “the troops that were to enter Ukraine, reach kyiv in a week, overthrow the government in place, Zelensky, etc. And put a government already chosen by the Ukrainian minority of people of common sense. One more week to go back.”

Berlusconi and Putin in 2005 at Soci, Russia. Photo Ansa / Epa

“He entered Ukraine and faced a situation of unexpected and unpredictable resistance from Ukrainians. Who started receiving money and weapons from the West on the third day. And the war, instead of being a two-week operation, has become a two-hundred-and-one-year war. So, this is the situation of the war in Ukraine,” concludes Berlusconi. “The war in Ukraine has led to the massacre of Ukrainian soldiers and citizens. If he said ‘I’m not attacking anymore’, it was over (…). So if there is no strong intervention, this war does not end,” the Knight said again. Then he says, “What is another risk, another danger that we all have. Today, unfortunately, in the Western world there are no leaders, there are none in Europe and the United States of America. I’m not telling you the things I know but there are no real leaders. Can I make you smile? The only true leader is me.”

Opposition to attack

“Berlusconi’s words confirm that FI is an unreliable and clearly Russian-aligned party. The EPP should take a stand and Antonio Tajani should not become foreign minister. Meloni does not have a majority to govern,” wrote Carlo Calenda on Twitter. Enrico Letta, secretary of the PD, comments that Berlusconi’s statements “are very serious, incompatible with the position of Italy and Europe. The Meloni government is being born under the sign of the worst of ambiguities. Even the M5S leader attacks Berlusconi’s remarks, deeming them “unacceptable for Italy”. After the statements of the leader of FI on Ukraine, says Giuseppe Conte, “there is a serious problem for our country. I don’t think we can accept Forza Italia expressing a foreign minister. »

Photo Ansa

Berlusconi and Tajani hide

But the real point now is the Forza Italia outfit: what’s going on at the party? Licia Ronzulli, group leader in the Senate, attacks the deputy who broadcast the audio of Berlusconi. “It is unscrupulous, not to say criminal, that someone among the 45 elected to the House can agree to dismiss the president’s remarks which had to be contextualized.” On Twitter, the national coordinator of Forza Italia, Antonio Tajani, tries to confirm the “pro-Atlanticism of mine and FI” after Berlusconi’s comments. “Tomorrow, I will be at the EPP summit to confirm the pro-Atlantic, pro-Atlantic position of full support for my Ukraine and that of FI. In all institutional frameworks, our vote for freedom and against Russian invasion has never failed. »