It is important for Ukraine not to lose support from Italy, despite the pro-Russian sympathies of certain politicians in this country. This was stated by President of the Republic Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

The journalists of the publication asked the politician if he was afraid of Rome's refusal to cooperate with Kiev because of the "pro-Putin" sympathies of the former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

In response, the Ukrainian leader assured that he had heard the politician's anti-Ukrainian statements and offered to send him vodka, alluding to the scandal with a gift for Berlusconi allegedly received from Moscow. “I don't know him personally. But maybe we should send him something. Does he like vodka? We have excellent quality in Ukraine. If you want, we will give you,” Zelensky said.

On October 19, Berlusconi said that Russian President Vladimir Putin called him the first of his five real friends. “He sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very nice birthday letter. I replied with bottles of Lambrusco and the same letter, ”the politician explained.

Because of the words of the politician in Italy, a scandal erupted. Representatives of the European Commission assured that a gift for the ex-premier could mean a violation of sanctions on the ban on the import of alcohol into the European Union.

Soon Berlusconi justified his words, assuring that they were nothing more than a joke. The Kremlin also did not confirm, but did not deny the information about the gift.