Italy's Berlusconi says Crimea split from Ukraine was democratic

Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi gestures as he speaks during a party rally in Milan May 23, 2014. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

ROME (Reuters) - Four-time Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Sunday the Crimean people had made a democratic choice to split from Ukraine and hailed Russian President Vladimir Putin as the world's greatest political leader.

Earlier this month, Berlusconi became the most prominent Western politician to visit the Black Sea peninsula, which was annexed by Russia last year in a move that has driven a wedge between Moscow and Washington.