Russian Ambassador Paramonov dismissed Tajani’s protests in a post on Facebook, saying Rome had “missed the mark” by summoning him over comments made by a television host and insisting the remarks did not reflect the position of the Russian government. “No reasonable person would treat purely personal remarks as an official statement,” he added.
Russia’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment.
Rome has firmly backed Ukraine efforts to end the Russian full-scale invasion of its territory, with Meloni standing out as one of Kyiv’s most reliable European allies. The prime minister has ramped up military cooperation and recently hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks on expanding defense support, including drone production.
That stance has exacerbated internal tensions in Italy, where far-right coalition partner the League, energy giant ENI and the opposition 5Star Movement have floated resuming Russian gas purchases amid mounting energy pressures.
Meloni on Tuesday dismissed Solovyov’s tirade as propaganda. “A diligent propagandist of the regime cannot give lessons in coherence or freedom,” she wrote on social media, vowing Italy “will not change course.”
Her response drew rare backing from across Italy’s political spectrum. Opposition leader Elly Schlein condemned the Russian presenter’s remarks as “unacceptable sexist accusations,” warning that attacks on Italy’s prime minister “offend the entire country.” It marks the second time this month the center-left politician has rallied behind Meloni, having similarly defended her during the clash with Trump.