The 20 bottles of vodka sent to Italian Silvio Berlusconi as a birthday gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin violate European sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, the European Commission said on Thursday.
Former prime minister Berlusconi, whose Forza Italia party is expected to be a member of Italy’s new coalition government, caused controversy this week when he said he had been in contact with Putin again and had recently exchanged “sweet letters” with him.
“On my birthday, he sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very sweet letter,” Berlusconi, who turned 86 last month, told lawmakers, according to audio carried by the LaPresse news agency.
A European Union (EU) sanctions package agreed in April extended the ban on imports of Russian products to include spirits including vodka, a Commission spokesman said in a statement, adding that there is no exemption for gifts.
However, it is up to individual EU member states to implement the sanctions, they said, and it was not immediately clear whether any action would be taken to pursue the case by Italian authorities.
In response to Berlusconi’s comments about Putin and the war in Ukraine, Giorgia Meloni, who is set to be Italy’s next prime minister, said on Wednesday that her new government will be pro-NATO and fully part of Europe.
(Edited by Angus MacSwan, Reuters)
Source: CNN Brasil
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