Italy summons Russian ambassador after TV host’s insults against Premier Meloni

Italy on Tuesday summoned Russia’s ambassador to Rome following what officials described as “extremely serious and offensive statements” made by Russian television presenter Vladimir Solovyov against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

“I summoned the Russian ambassador (Aleksey) Paramonov to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express formal protests following the extremely serious and offensive statements made by the presenter Vladimir Solovyov on Russian television against the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, to whom I extend my full solidarity and support,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a post on US social media company X.

The diplomatic move came after Solovyov insulted Meloni during an episode of his program, calling her a “fascist, a certified idiot, a bad woman.”