"I favor the [US] return to cooperation with [President Vladimir] Putin’s Russia, which should become a friend and ally, but certainly not an enemy to the United States and the entire free world," Berlusconi said in an interview with La Stampa newspaper.
Berlusconi stressed the importance of Russia’s role in resolving the problem of illegal migration that Italy faced, and noted that "an international coalition, encompassing Europe, the United States, Russia, China and moderate Arab countries" is needed to stem the influx of migrants and to stabilize the situation in the Middle East region.
Europe is currently facing a major refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees attempting to flee to the European Union through various routes, mainly, via Italy and Greece. In December, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that over 362,000 migrants arrived in Europe in 2016.
Trump, inaugurated on Friday, repeatedly called for better ties with Moscow in his campaign speeches.
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