Antonio Tajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, intends to summon the Russian Federation's ambassador to Italy.
The reason for this summons will be the inclusion of President Mattarella on the Kremlin's list of alleged Russophobes. In addition to the President of the Republic, the aforementioned list includes other institutional figures related to the Italian Republic, such as Tajani himself and Minister Guido Crosetto.
Both Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein, and Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte have dismissed the Kremlin's initiative as serious and unacceptable.
The list in question, clearly, includes not only institutional figures from the Italian Republic, but also numerous European leaders, such as the new German Chancellor Merz and French President Emanuel Macron. In addition to the aforementioned, NATO Secretary General Rutte also appears.
The initiative to summon the Russian ambassador seems to me to be a gesture that will lead to nothing good. The list of Russophobes is simply a way to create unnecessary tensions between countries. It is important to maintain dialogue and diplomacy.