Berlusconi-Putin: Dangerous Liaisons

"On major issues, it seems that Russian-Italian economic relations are directed by PMs who have a direct line to each other as well as control over some of the largest assets of their respective economies. To whatever end they direct those assets, it is likely they are not doing so based solely on commercial or rate-of-return calculations. As our contact himself acknowledged -- "it seems that everything that happens at the lower levels is just for show."" Rome, 05/02/2010.