Italy calls Russian envoy after ‘verbal attack’ on president

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday that he had called the Russian ambassador after the “UMPTEENTH verbal attack” of Moscow’s diplomatic corps against Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

“Strong condemnation of the UMPTEEENTH verbal attack against the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. A man of peace and a symbol of national and European unity,” Tajani wrote at X.

“That’s why I have decided to convene the Russian ambassador to the Farnesina building,” which houses the Italian Foreign Ministry.

Tajani’s comments came after Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had earlier on Thursday accused Mattarella of spreading “lies” and “disinformation” after condemning Moscow for threatening Europe with nuclear weapons.

Zakharova suggested that Mattarella had “confused” Russia with France, whose President Emmanuel Macron recently said he would discuss to expand France’s nuclear deterrent to European partners.

Spokeswoman had also turned out on Mattarella a month ago after making comparisons between Russia and the Third Reich.

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