Italian ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi came under renewed scrutiny for his friendship with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after he was caught describing a vodka-infused birthday gift from the Russian leader and raising concerns about arming Ukraine.

Aides insisted he had been misrepresented, but the row could embarrass Berlusconi’s coalition allies, led by far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, as they prepare to form a new government after last month’s election.

Meloni is a strong supporter of Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia, but both Berlusconi and her other coalition partner, League leader Matteo Salvini, both have long-standing close ties with Moscow.

“Meloni held hostage by pro-Russians,” headlined La Repubblica newspaper on Wednesday, while other reports detailed her private outrage at the billionaire media mogul’s latest slip.

A recording emerged late Tuesday in which Berlusconi recounted how he had rekindled ties with President Putin, an old friend.

Italian online news outlet LaPresse said the comments came this week during a meeting of lawmakers at its Forza Italia party.

“I reconnected a bit with President Putin … for my birthday he sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very kind letter,” he said, according to the tape released by LaPresse.

“I replied with bottles of Lambrusco (red wine) and an equally sweet letter.”

A spokesman for Berlusconi, who turned 86 last month, denied he had rekindled ties with Putin and said Berlusconi told parliamentarians an “old story that relates to an episode many years ago”.

Immediately before the anecdote, Berlusconi is heard describing his concerns about supplying arms and cash to support Ukraine.

According to LaPresse, Berlusconi also described Putin as a “person of peace”, although this was not included in the released audio.

A senior Forza Italia lawmaker, Alessandro Cattaneo, said Wednesday that Berlusconi’s comments had been taken out of context, adding: “Soundbites can be copied and pasted.”

Forza Italia also stressed its support for the EU-US policy towards Ukraine.

Berlusconi said in April that he was “deeply disappointed” by Putin’s behavior in Ukraine.

But in September he was forced to clarify remarks that suggested the president was being “pushed” into the invasion by his entourage.

Francesco Lollobrigida, a close adviser to Meloni, told reporters on Wednesday: “We stand with the Ukrainian people and defend democracy in this country, but also firmly on the Western axis… Regarding the comments of others, you have to ask others.”

Talks are still ongoing to form a new government, with Meloni expected to be confirmed as prime minister late next week.

But the process was rocky.

Berlusconi lost his temper in the Senate last week and later admitted within his party that he was “deeply annoyed” by the coalition’s discussions about the distribution of ministerial posts.

But he and Meloni had a meeting to clear the air on Monday and subsequently posted a photo of the smiling couple.