Silvio Berlusconi, former prime minister and leader of Italy’s Forward Italy party, a member of the ruling coalition, said he hoped for a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. According to him, he has always supported Ukraine, including on issues of financing and supply of weapons.
“Let’s look at the facts. We have always supported the Ukrainian people, we have always voted both in Italy and in Europe for helping Ukraine both through financing and supplying weapons. I have always been on the side of the Ukrainian people and the world. I am in favor of an early diplomatic solution, because this war threatens everyone,” Mr. Berlusconi said in a statement published on his Instagram (owned by Meta, which is recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation and banned).
Silvio Berlusconi added that, in his opinion, an analogue of the “Marshall Plan” for the restoration of Ukraine might become a way of diplomatic settlement of the conflict. “I just advised the big Western Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine as a possible diplomatic way to end this conflict,” he wrote.
The day before, Silvio Berlusconi criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to him, nothing would have happened” if he stopped the attacks on the republics of Donbass. Mr. Berlusconi also suggested that the United States allocate money to Ukraine for reconstruction only if there is a ceasefire. This statement caused a negative reaction from Ukraine.
