Italy offers mediation in Russia, US missiles spat

ROME — Premier Silvio Berlusconi is offering to mediate between Washington and Moscow to ease tensions over U.S. plans to station a missile shield in eastern Europe.

Berlusconi often boasts of his close friendship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He was close to President Bush, and recently described U.S. President-elect Barack Obama as "young, handsome and even tanned."

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Turin daily La Stampa quoted Berlusconi as telling reporters Tuesday: "I'm committing myself to carrying out mediation."

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in an interview in Rome newspaper La Repubblica that Berlusconi could play a key role in improving U.S.-Russian relations.