Italy's Berlusconi Criticizes Zelensky, Sparking a Firestorm in Rome

"ROME -- Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, a member of Italy's right-wing governing coalition, blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

He told reporters that, if Mr. Zelensky had stopped attacking Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, "none of this would have happened."

"My judgment of this man's behavior is very, very negative," said Mr. Berlusconi, who was notably silent about Russian President Vladimir Putin -- who he has long boasted is a personal friend. It was the Italian politician's most explicit attempt so far to shift the blame for Russia's military operation.

Mr. Berlusconi's comments ignited a furor in Rome. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni responded with a terse statement that reiterated her government's "firm and staunch" policy of aiding Ukraine's self-defense. She made no mention of the 86-year-old Mr. Berlusconi, who also criticized her for meeting with Mr. Zelensky at last week in Brussels.

Ms. Meloni has made Italy's steadfast support for Ukraine a cornerstone of her foreign policy. Her government backed financial aid and weapons deliveries to Kyiv.

But her junior coalition allies -- Mr. Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini of the anti-immigration League party -- have never been fully on board, questioning sanctions on Russia and the extent of aid for Ukraine.

Italy continues to be a test case for Europe's unity on Russia. While sympathy for Ukraine remains widespread among Europeans, support for increased military aid has slipped, polls show.

In Italy, a majority oppose providing air-defense systems and other weapons to Ukraine, an Ipsos survey in December found.

Mr. Berlusconi's comments come as Italians in the country's two most populous regions -- Lazio and Lombardy -- are voting to elect local governments. It is the first electoral test for Italian parties since September's national elections, which saw Ms. Meloni's Brothers of Italy party overtake other conservative parties to secure 26% of the vote. Messrs. Berlusconi and Salvini want to reclaim some of those votes but are struggling, with polls showing that support for Brothers of Italy is up at about 30%.

Mr. Berlusconi's public broadside against Mr. Zelensky on Sunday shows that the Kremlin's narrative about it continues to have some high-level support in European capitals.

The Rome government is unlikely to break with its European allies and the U.S. over Ukraine, for fear of leaving Italy politically isolated within the West. But the disagreements within Italy's ruling coalition have become more apparent recently, raising a headache for Ms. Meloni and questions about the cohesiveness of her coalition." [1]

1. World News: Italy's Berlusconi Criticizes Zelensky, Sparking a Firestorm in Rome
Stancati, Margherita.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 14 Feb 2023: A.6.