Italy summoned Russia's ambassador to Rome on Tuesday to protest against harsh insults directed at Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by Kremlin propagandist Solovyov. This was reported by Politico, writes UNN.
Details
In a post on X, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that he had summoned Russian Ambassador Alexey Paramonov to officially condemn the "extremely serious and offensive statements" recently made by host Vladimir Solovyov on Russian state television.
During the April 16 broadcast, Solovyov sharply criticized Meloni, calling her a "certified idiot" and "fascist trash." After accusations of betraying voters and US President Donald Trump — who last week sharply changed his rhetoric towards Meloni after her criticism of his statements about Pope Leo XIV — the host also called her "bitch Meloni."
Trump 'shocked' by Meloni after her words in defense of the Pope14.04.26, 21:37
Russian Ambassador Paramonov rejected Tajani's protest in a Facebook post, stating that Rome "was mistaken" in summoning him over the TV presenter's words, and emphasized that these statements do not reflect the position of the Russian government. "No reasonable person would take personal statements as an official position," he added.
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to Politico's request for comment.
On Tuesday, Meloni called Solovyov's tirade propaganda. "A thorough propagandist of the regime cannot lecture on consistency or freedom," she wrote on social media, stating that Italy "will not change course."
Her response received rare support from across Italy's political spectrum. Opposition leader Elly Schlein condemned the Russian presenter's words as "unacceptable sexist accusations," noting that such attacks on the prime minister "offend the entire country."
The diplomatic incident coincided with the EU's decision to cut funding for the Venice Biennale after organizers allowed the return of Russian artists to the 2026 program.
EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas stated that Russia should not be allowed to participate in cultural events while it is waging war against Ukraine, destroying museums, churches, and cultural heritage.