"A Creepy Gift" from Putin: A Deer Heart Presented to Berlusconi

One of the close friends of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi revealed that "Russian President Vladimir Putin gave him a gift consisting of a deer's heart in a very strange incident." Fabrizio Cicchito, a former senator of the "Forza Italia" party founded by Berlusconi, stated in an interview published by "Corriere della Sera" that the incident occurred in 2013 while Putin was accompanying Berlusconi on a hunting trip during a vacation at one of his country houses. Cicchito recalls what Berlusconi said after returning from Russia: "Vladimir showed me a violent nature I did not expect from such a kind and rational person," as reported by the American newspaper "Politico." Both men acknowledged their close relationship, with Berlusconi defending Putin even after the Russian operation in Ukraine, describing the Russian president, who transformed from a media mogul to a politician, as a "true friend" after his death in June of last year.