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Posted On

22
February
2023

Berlusconi needs to come to Ukraine, see what bloody traces 'fraternal' Russia leaves – Zelenskyy

KYIV. Feb 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in order to fully form his opinion on the Russian-Ukrainian war, needs to come to Ukraine and see with his own eyes what bloody traces the “brotherly” Russia left, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

“Mr. Berlusconi’s house, it seems to me, was never bombed with missiles every day. And thank God that his partner from Russia did not drive into his yard on a tank, did not destroy his relatives and friends. I think that Mr. Berlusconi did not woke up at 03.00 and didn’t start washing clothes, cooking two days ahead for his children to eat, because in the next two or three days there may simply be no electricity because of such ‘great love of the fraternal Russian people,” Zelenskyy said at a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni in Kyiv.

At the same time, he said: “I wish that this never happened in Italy, and that no one experienced this, because this is a great tragedy.”

“But in order to fully form your opinion, it seems to me that [Berlusconi] you need to come here and see with your own eyes what is happening. And then, if a politician arrives – or not a politician and sees what happened here, what bloody traces ‘fraternal’ Russia left, then we will communicate at the same level,” Zelenskyy said.

The head of state also said certain leaders or former leaders of states have the right to their personal opinion on what is happening in Ukraine, but the main thing, according to Zelenskyy, is the opinion and attitude towards Ukraine of the peoples of these states.

“The main thing, it seems to me, is how the societies of these countries relate to Ukraine, to this war, because it is they who allow certain thoughts to be expressed. Now we see the support of the Italian society. I think this is important, because Italy understands that we profess the same values. We equally love life, children, we respect the sovereignty of states, the right to life, freedom of speech, etc. It seems to me that this is the main thing. We understand each other,” the president said.

Earlier, former Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi accused Ukrainian President Zelenskyy of alleged attacks on Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine because of what, according to Berlusconi, Putin carried out a full-scale invasion.

In an interview with La Repubblica, Berlusconi said Ukraine could negotiate with Russia if they stopped helping them with weapons and instead offered only reconstruction assistance.

Commenting on the meeting between the Italian prime minister and Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels last week, the former Italian prime minister said if he were still prime minister, he would not have met with Zelenskyy.