Putin consulted with Berlusconi before the talks in Milan
Milan - Kyiv, October 17 (PolitNavigator, Vasily Ablyazimov) - Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation from his Italian friend, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and visited him in the early hours of Friday at a mansion in Milan.
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Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting, saying Putin was visiting “his old friend” at his invitation. Berlusconi, despite being under house arrest, now heads Italy's largest opposition party.
President Putin must have felt the need to rest after his meeting with Mrs Merkel and went to see the former Italian Prime Minister at 1:36 am CET on Friday. writes The Wall Street Journal. He left with a large convoy to Mr Berlusconi's house and remained there until about 3am
Photos from the Italian news agency Ansa show a smiling Berlusconi in a smart suit waiting for Putin. Berlusconi has staunchly defended Putin this year following a series of EU and US sanctions against Russia over its alleged involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
Berlusconi and Putin have been friends for years, often exchanging expensive gifts.
Already in the morning, actually after a sleepless night, Putin met in Milan with EU leaders: the President of France, the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Italy, Mrs. Merkel, as well as the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
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