Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi is retracting a statement pardoning Russian President Vladimir Putin by saying he was under pressure to invade Ukraine.
Berlusconi – a personal friend of Putin – told the RAI television company on Thursday that Putin was caught in a “difficult and dramatic situation” and that the major invasion in February began after, among other things, “pro-Russian separatists” asked Moscow for help.
– Berlusconi said that Putin was pressured by the Russian people, his party and his ministers to invent this special operation.
After being heavily criticized for the statement, Berlusconi came up with a clarification on Friday. According to the former Italian Prime Minister, everything is a misunderstanding, he was just echoing what others said.
“The aggression against Ukraine is unjust and unacceptable,” he said in a commentary, stressing that he stands behind the European Union and NATO.
Italy heads to the polls on Sunday. Berlusconi’s “Forza Italia” party is then expected to gain support for forming a government along with the far-right Brothers Italia and Lega parties.
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