The European Union on Thursday (20th) condemned a present that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent to former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on his birthday: 20 bottles of vodka.
According to the European Commission the executive branch of the European bloc the shipment of vodkas violates European sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, which bans imports of a range of Russian products, including the country’s traditional drink.
At 86, Berlusconi, who resigned from power in Italy after a series of corruption scandals, has returned to his country’s political scene. His Forza Italia party is allied with the acronym of the current head of state, the ultraconservative Giorgia Meloni.
The former Italian leader sparked controversy this week when he said he had reconnected with Putin and recently exchanged “love letters” with the Russian leader.
“On my birthday, he sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very loving letter,” Berlusconi said, according to an audio file released by the LaPresse news agency.
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Like most European Union countries, Italy is an ally of Ukraine. Meloni reiterated on Wednesday (19th) that his government is proNATO and proUkraine.
An EU package of sanctions in April included distilled beverages like vodka in an import ban on Russian products. According to a spokesman for the European Commission, there is no exception for gifts.
Italy has not yet said whether it will punish Berlusconi for receiving the gift it is up to each country to implement the sanctions imposed by the EU.
Responding to Berlusconi’s comments about Putin and the war in Ukraine, Giorgia Meloni, who is expected to be Italy’s next prime minister, said on Wednesday that her new government would be proNATO and fully part of Europe.