Thursday's headlines in the Italian press are focused on recordings of Silvio Berlusconi revealing his ongoing friendship with Putin and critical attitude to Ukraine's President Zelensky.
Berlusconi can be heard describing the "sweet letters" he has recently exchanged with Putin as well as admitting exchanging gifts. Putin sent the former Italian prime minister a case of Russian vodka on 29 September as a birthday gift. Berlusconi returned the gesture sending Putin a crate of Lambrusco wine.
The European Commission has already made a statement that receipt of the case of 20 bottles of vodka flouts sanctions against Russia.
Internally, the revelations come at a difficult time for the presumed next Italian government under Giorgia Meloni. She is putting together a right-wing coalition government comprised of her own Brothers of Italy party, Matteo Salvini's far-right League and Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia.
Giorgia Meloni awaits her nomination from the president, Sergio Mattarella, to become prime minister.
Berlusconi has already described Meloni as "arrogant, conceited, quarrelsome" in a handwritten note noticed by journalists in the Italian Senate.
Sources: PAP, Reuters
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