Italy-Russia: Tajani summons Russian ambassador after new statements by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

Diplomatic tension between Italy and Russia intensifies after new statements by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who once again attacked the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. The Farnesina reacted by summoning the Russian ambassador to Rome, but Moscow has dismissed the move as a “pointless” attack that would do nothing but “draw attention to Italy's internal problems".

Zakharova's latest attack on Mattarella

The diplomatic crisis between Italy and Russia has intensified following the words of the Italian head of state during a meeting in Hiroshima with survivors of the nuclear bombings. Mattarella had denounced Russia's dangerous "nuclear narrative", accusing Moscow of instilling the idea that the use of nuclear weapons could be acceptable in international conflicts.

These statements provoked a reaction from Maria Zakharova, who called Mattarella's words "lies". Interviewed by the Russian newspaper Izvestia, the spokeswoman said: “They have nothing to defend themselves with. So they decided to attack. But they did it in vain… They only drew attention to their problems.".

Zakharova also said that Italy was reacting disproportionately, directly accusing Mattarella of spreading falsehoods."Perhaps he will deign to prove his words in some way? But I can tell you right away: he will not be able to do so. You will not find a single statement by any official of the Russian Federation that can be interpreted in this way.".

The reaction of the Farnesina and the summoning of the Russian ambassador

Faced with what has been defined as "yet another verbal attack" against the President of the Republic, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has ordered the Russian ambassador to Rome to be summoned. Tajani commented on the story on social media, writing on X: “The President of the Republic is a man of peace and a symbol of national and European unity. I firmly condemn these offensive statements".

The Farnesina's decision aims to officially express Italy's dissent towards Zakharova's declarations and to reiterate support for Mattarella's words on the nuclear issue.

Previous Moscow attacks on Mattarella

This is not the first time that Maria Zakharova has publicly attacked the Italian president. The first attack dates back to February 14, when the Russian spokeswoman defined Mattarella's statements comparing Russia to Nazi Germany as "offensive". On February 17, Zakharova then warned that those words would not go without consequences.

Mattarella's statements in Hiroshima are part of a broader framework of criticism of Russian policy, already expressed on the occasion of the awarding of the title of doctor Honorary at the University of Aix-Marseille. On that occasion, theThe president had stressed the danger posed by authoritarian and illiberal regimes, which aim at domination rather than cooperation.

The decision to summon the Russian ambassador represents a sign of determination on the part of the Italian government, but also risks fueling further diplomatic tensions with Moscow.

The war in Ukraine and its geopolitical consequences continue to exacerbate relations between the West and Russia, and Italy is increasingly involved in this scenario. It remains to be seen whether there will be new responses from the Kremlin or whether diplomacy will be able to bring the dialogue back to a more constructive level.