Putin, Berlusconi Spend Weekend in Siberia

By The Associated Press

June 29, 2015

President Vladimir Putin and Italian former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi walk during their meeting in Rome, Jun. 10. Alexei Nikolsky / RIA Novosti / Kremlin / Reuters

A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin says Putin and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi spent the weekend together at a vacation home in Siberia.

Berlusconi, known to be a close friend of Putin's, has previously hosted Putin's family at his villa on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Earlier this year, Berlusconi, 78, was acquitted of charges he paid an underage prostitute for sex and used his influence to cover it up.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted Monday by Russian news agencies as saying Putin, 62, has not had a summer vacation yet but confirmed he and Berlusconi spent the weekend in the Altai region at a vacation compound owned by gas giant Gazprom.

Berlusconi and Putin met briefly in Rome when Putin was visiting this month.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue