Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says Vladimir Putin sent him a crate of vodka along with a "sweet letter", according to leaked audio.
The outspoken leader of the Forza Italia party courted controversy last month when he claimed the Russian President had sought to put "decent people " in charge of Ukraine following the invasion earlier this year.
A long-time friend of Putin's, he also said he had been "pushed" into beginning the military action, which has since left thousands of civilians dead.
Now, a new audio recording released by Italian news agency LaPresse suggests the pair have exchanged gifts and letters around the time of his birthday.
Speaking to other members of parliament, Berlusconi can reportedly be heard saying: "I have got back in touch a bit with Putin, quite a lot, in the sense that for my birthday he sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very sweet letter.
"I answered him with some bottles of Lambrusco (wine) and an equally sweet letter."
He reportedly added he could not give his true opinion on the war because "if it gets in the press there'll be a disaster."
A spokesperson from Forza Italia denied the former PM had been in correspondence with Putin, claiming the overheard details came from him recalling "an old story referring to an episode many years ago."
The party later confirmed that Berlusconi and the party were against the conflict in Ukraine "in line with the position of Europe and the United States," and that there was "no room for ambiguity and there never has been."
Berlusconi's comments come as he attempts to negotiate cabinet posts for his party in a new coalition government following the recent general election.
Giorgia Meloni - who he recently described as 'patronising' and 'bossy' - is expected to be named prime minister next week, after her populist right-wing party Brothers of Italy topped the poll.
Silvio Berlusconi served as Italian PM in four governments over three decades, and once owned footballing giants AC Milan.
