INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
friend Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine invasion."I cannot and I do not want to hide that I am deeply disappointed by the
behavior of Vladimir Putin," Berlusconi told a public meeting of his right-wing Forza Italia party in Rome, which is part of the broad
coalition supporting the government led by Mario Draghi."I've known him about twenty years ago and he always seemed to me to be a democrat
and a man of peace," the 85-year-old billionaire continued.Berlusconi, who served as head of the Italian government three times between 1994
and 2011, had previously refrained from publicly criticizing Putin.When he was in power, Berlusconi maintained friendly personal ties with
the Russian president, going so far as to invite him on vacation to his luxurious villa in Sardinia."Faced with the horror of the massacres
of civilians in Bucha and other places, real war crimes, Russia can not deny its responsibilities," he said Saturday.
