Italy’s Berlusconi blames Ukraine’s Zelenskyy for Russian invasionItaly’s Silvio Berlusconi told lawmakers that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pushed Russian President Vladimir Putin into an endless war, according to audio obtained by an Italian newswire, despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary.After his election, Zelenskyy “tripled the attacks against the breakaway republics,” according to Berlusconi, and Putin intervened to replace him with a government “already formed by a Ukrainian minority, formed by honest, sensible people.”“He entered Ukraine and found a situation he could not have predicted, of resistance from the Ukrainians who started receiving money and arms from the West on day three,” Berlusconi said.“So instead of being a two-week operation the war became a 200-year plus struggle.”In the first audio, published on Tuesday, Berlusconi had expressed concern about Italy’s aid to Ukraine and said Putin sent him vodka and a letter for his birthday.On the same day, in remarks broadcast on national television, Chamber of Deputies speaker Lorenzo Fontana, known for his pro-Putin views, said sanctions against Russia could “boomerang.”On Tuesday, Berlusconi’s party Forza Italia denied that he had renewed contact with Putin and said his position with respect to Ukraine was “in line with that of Europe and the US.”A commitment to Europe and to western partners including the US has always been “at the base of my work as a political leader and a man of government, Berlusconi said in a statement late Wednesday, claiming his comments had been taken out of context.Read more:Russia to review working with UN chief if he inspects drones in UkraineUS charges Russians for shipping military equipment, Venezuelan oilIsrael ‘will not’ supply weapons to Ukraine: Defense ministerRussia’s Gazprom resumes gas flows to Italy via Austria as row resolved Russian gas supplies to Italy via Austria resumed, bringing some temporary relief to gas prices in Europe.Gazprom PJSC said it has found a solution ... EnergyItaly’s Eni working with Gazprom to resolve Russian gas flow halt Italy’s Eni said it not would receive any of the gas it had requested from Russia’s Gazprom for delivery on Saturday, but the firms said they were ... EnergyItaly strengthens surveillance on gas pipelines following Nord Stream leaks Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government has strengthened naval surveillance and controls on the pipelines bringing gas to Italy from the ... World NewsItaly will not recognize Russia’s ‘illegal’ annexation referendums in Ukraine: PM Italy will not recognize the results of “illegal” annexation referendums organized by Moscow in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, Prime ... World News"