プーチン氏から誕生日にウオッカ２０本　ベルルスコーニ元伊首相

【ローマＡＦＰ＝時事】イタリアのシルビオ・ベルルスコーニ元首相（８６）は１９日、長年の盟友、ロシアのウラジーミル・プーチン大統領から誕生日プレゼントにウオッカを贈られたと明かした。ウクライナへの武器支援についても懸念を示すなど、またもや物議を醸している。（写真はイタリアのシルビオ・ベルルスコーニ元首相（左）とロシアのウラジーミル・プーチン大統領。ロシアが２０１４年に併合したウクライナ南部クリミア半島セバストポリで）　伊メディア、ラプレッセは１８日、今週行われた、ベルルスコーニ氏率いる中道右派政党「フォルツァ・イタリア（ＦＩ）」の会合で録音されたとする音声の抜粋を公開した。
　ベルルスコーニ氏はその中で「プーチン大統領と少しばかり旧交を温めた。私の誕生日にウオッカ２０本と、心のこもった手紙を贈られた」「お礼に（赤ワインの）ランブルスコを何本かと、同じくらい心をこめた手紙を返した」と述べている。
　これについて同氏の広報担当者は、プーチン氏との関係を復活させたわけではないと釈明。ベルルスコーニ氏自身もエピソードを披露する際、「何年も前の古い話だ」と断りを入れていた。
　しかし、同氏はエピソードを紹介する直前、ウクライナを支援するために武器や資金を提供することへの懸念を表明。公開された音声には含まれていないが、プーチン氏を「平和の人」とも呼んでいた。
　ベルルスコーニ氏は１９日に声明を発表し、「ウクライナ危機など国際政治の主要問題」に関し、自身とＦＩの立場が「イタリア政府（および）欧州連合（ＥＵ）の立場から逸脱することはない」と表明。「ウクライナの権利が十分に守られなければ、平和は達成できない」と述べた。
　先月のイタリア総選挙で第１党となった極右「イタリアの同胞（ＦＤＩ）」のジョルジャ・メローニ党首は、ウクライナ侵攻をめぐるＥＵの対ロシア制裁への支持を強く打ち出している。ただ、連立政権に参加するとみられているベルルスコーニ氏と、極右「同盟」のマッテオ・サルビーニ書記長はロシアとの関係が深く、今回の問題も右派連合に影響を与える可能性がある。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/10/20-14:27）

Italy's ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi was under fresh scrutiny Wednesday over his friendship with Vladimir Putin after being recorded describing a birthday present of vodka from the Russian leader and expressing concerns about arming Ukraine.
His aides insisted he had been misrepresented, but the row risks embarrassing Berlusconi's coalition allies, led by far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, as they prepare to form a new government following last month's elections.
Meloni strongly supports Ukraine, and the EU sanctions on Russia, but both Berlusconi -- and her other coalition ally, League leader Matteo Salvini -- have long had warm ties with Moscow.
Meloni hostage of pro-Russians, was the headline on Wednesday's La Repubblica newspaper.
Other reports described her private outrage at the latest gaffe from the billionaire media mogul.
Supporters of political veteran Berlusconi initially denied reports of his comments, until Italian news agency LaPresse released extracts of the recording.
In it, he explains how he rekindled ties with President Putin, an old friend, it emerged late Tuesday.
LaPresse said the comments had been made during a meeting of his Forza Italia party lawmakers this week.
I reconnected a little bit with President Putin... for my birthday he sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very kind letter, he could be heard saying.
I responded with bottles of Lambrusco (red wine) and an equally sweet letter.
- Putin 'person of peace' -
A spokesman for Berlusconi, who turned 86 last month, denied he had rekindled relations with Putin.
Berlusconi had been telling parliamentarians an old story relating to an episode dating back many years, he insisted.
Immediately preceding the anecdote, Berlusconi can be heard describing his concerns about sending weapons and cash to support Ukraine.
He also described Putin as a person of peace, although this was not included in the audio published.
Berlusconi issued a press statement Wednesday saying that his personal position and that of his Forza Italia party do not deviate from that of the Italian government (and) the European Union either on the crisis in Ukraine or on the other major subjects of international politics.
He also said it will be impossible to achieve peace if Ukraine's rights are not adequately protected.
A senior Forza Italia lawmaker, Alessandro Cattaneo, said Wednesday that Berlusconi's comments had been taken out of context. Soundbites can be copied and pasted, he added.
In April Berlusconi had said he was deeply disappointed by Putin's behaviour in Ukraine -- but in September he was then forced to clarify remarks suggesting the Russian president had been pushed into the invasion by his entourage.
- 'No joke' - -
A close aide to Meloni, senior Brothers of Italy lawmaker Francesco Lollobrigida, also tried to calm the storm.
We remain with the Ukrainian people and in defence of democracy in that country, but also fiercely in the Western axis... Regarding the comments of others, you must ask others, he told reporters.
But the opposition insisted the comments could not be lightly dismissed.
This is no joke, wrote Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta on Twitter. This was the first step towards an increasingly ambiguous position towards Russia, he argued.
Fresh extracts of the recorded conversation were released on Wednesday evening, in which Berlusconi appeared to blame the war in Ukraine on the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
And he repeated his remarks from last September, suggesting that Putin had been pushed into invading Ukraine.
Talks are still ongoing on the formation of a new Italian government, with Meloni expected to be confirmed as prime minister by the end of next week.
But the process has been rocky.
Berlusconi lost his temper in the Senate last week, later admitting deep annoyance in his party over coalition discussions on how to share out ministerial posts.
But he and Meloni had a meeting on Monday to clear the air, afterwards issuing a photo of the pair smiling.