​20 bottles of vodka sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a birthday present to former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi violate EU sanctions against Russia, the European Commission said on Thursday, Reuters and Agerpres reported.

Former prime minister Berlusconi, whose Forza Italia party will form part of Italy’s new coalition government, sparked controversy this week when he said he had reconnected with Putin and had recently exchanged “sweet letters” with him.

“For my birthday, he sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very nice letter,” Berlusconi, who turned 86 last month, told lawmakers in his lower house, according to an audio recording released by LaPresse news agency.

The EU sanctions package agreed in April extended the ban on imports of Russian goods, including spirits, a Commission spokesman said in a statement, adding that there were no exceptions for gifts.

However, the implementation of sanctions depends on each individual EU member state, he noted.

It is not yet known whether the Italian authorities will take any action in this case.

In response to Berlusconi’s recent comments about Putin and the war in Ukraine, Giorgia Maloni, who is expected to become Italy’s next prime minister, said on Wednesday that her new government would be pro-NATO and fully part of Europe, or not at all. .

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