Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Berlusconi says Putin invaded Ukraine to put ‘decent people’ in Kyiv

Berlusconi says Putin invaded Ukraine to put ‘decent people’ in Kyiv

Berlusconi has struggled to stay on message when it comes to the war in Ukraine and his Russian friend.

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi defended Vladimir Putin ahead of Italy’s snap election this Sunday, saying the Russian president just wanted to replace Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government with “decent people”.

During a prime time Rai1 interview, the 85-year-old Forza Italia leader said Putin “was pushed by the Russian population, by his party, by his ministers to invent this special operation.” The plan, he said, was for Russian troops to enter “in a week to replace Zelenskyy’s government with a government of decent people.”

However, Berlusconi added, “the Russians found an unexpected and unpredictable resistance from the Ukrainian troops, who were then fed with weapons of all kinds.”

Berlusconi, a longtime friend of Putin, has struggled to stay on point when it came to the war in Ukraine. Two months after the invasion, in April, he said he was “disappointed and saddened” by Putin. A month later, he said that Europe should “try and get the Ukrainians to accept Putin’s requests.”

Russian influence on Italy’s domestic policies has been an issue of concern throughout the election campaign as a right-wing coalition, which includes Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, is likely to win a majority of seats on September 25.

Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party expected to lead the next government, presents herself as less sympathetic to Putin. She has described the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an “unacceptable large-scale act of war” and supports military aid for Ukraine.

But the third ally in the coalition, Lega’s Matteo Salvini, also has a history of being friendly to Putin’s Russia, although he has tried to recast himself as a champion of Ukrainian refugees.

Meanwhile, on Facebook, Russia’s embassy to Italy posted a photo album of numerous Italian politicians shaking hands with Putin, including Matteo Salvini, Silvio Berlusconi, Giuseppe Conte and Paolo Gentiloni. “From the recent history of Russian-Italian relations. There’s a lot to remember,” the caption reads.

Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
Likely not far from the truth concerning the US helped overthrow a democratic elected goverment in Ukraine in 2014. You remember Victoria Nuland handing out cookies. The west wanted a puppet government so they installed one. Putin is just un installing now.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
×