Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that by spreading Russian propaganda, the former Italian Prime Minister is encouraging Russia to continue its crimes against Ukraine. 

Oleh Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine,  recalled on Facebook that in 2010, when he was working at the Ukrainian embassy in Libya, then Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi flew to meet with Muammar Gaddafi. During the official ceremony, in the presence of TV cameras, Berlusconi kissed the hands of the Libyan dictator to show his loyalty.

"Berlusconi's absurd accusations against the Ukrainian president are an attempt to kiss Putin's hands stained with blood. An attempt to demonstrate his loyalty to the Russian dictator," Nikolenko wrote.

"At the same time, the Italian politician must realise that by spreading Russian propaganda, he is encouraging Russia to continue its crimes against Ukraine and therefore he bears political and moral responsibility," he added.

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appreciated the prompt reaction of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who confirmed the unwavering support by the Italian government for Ukraine after Berlusconi's unacceptable statements.

Berlusconi, commenting on the meeting between Meloni and Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels, said that if he were still the prime minister, he would not have met with Zelenskyy.

If Zelenskyy had stopped "attacking" two oblasts in the east of Ukraine in Donbas, the Russian attack on Ukraine would not have happened at all, added the 86-year-old politician, who was voting in regional elections in Lombardy.