According to the Italian news agency ANSA, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani ordered the summons following comments broadcast on Russia 1 in which host Vladimir Solovyov used offensive language directed at Meloni. Italian officials described the remarks as incompatible with diplomatic norms and stressed that they were delivered during a routine parliamentary briefing in Rome.

Tajani said in a meeting with Paramonov that it is unacceptable for a presenter working on the state-run channel Russia 1 to use vulgar and inappropriate language against the prime minister of a free and democratic country such as Italy, according to ANSA.

In response, Ambassador Alexei Paramonov rejected the summons, calling it a "serious mistake” and accusing Italian authorities of using a television commentator’s remarks as a pretext. He said that personal and emotional assessments should not be interpreted as official statements of the Russian government.

Relations between Italy and Russia have remained strained since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, with repeated diplomatic exchanges involving sanctions, media rhetoric, and expulsions of diplomats. 

Russian state media figures have frequently criticized European leaders, while EU governments have condemned such statements as disinformation or inflammatory propaganda.

Analysts say the episode underscores ongoing sensitivity in European-Russian diplomatic relations, where media commentary can quickly escalate into formal diplomatic incidents. 

Diplomatic observers note that both sides are increasingly using public statements to signal political positions, raising the risk of further tensions. 

Lamaane News Network understands from officials familiar with the matter that such summonses are typically intended to formally register protest rather than immediately alter bilateral relations, though they contribute to a broader climate of mistrust.

Both Rome and Moscow have not announced further immediate steps following the exchange, but diplomatic sources suggest the issue is likely to remain under review as EU-Russia relations continue to face pressure from ongoing geopolitical disputes and information tensions across state media channels.