Solovyov insulted the Italian Prime Minister

Solovyov insulted the Italian Prime Minister

A diplomatic row erupted after Russian TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov made derogatory remarks about Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni. He accused the prime minister of fascism, called him “the idiot Meloni” and said he had betrayed his voters.

The Italian Foreign Ministry protested the remarks, summoned the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and lodged an official protest. The Italian president and a number of politicians also supported the prime minister. The Russian ambassador, however, said that Solovyov’s personal remarks did not reflect the state’s position.

This is not the first time Solovyov has “flirted”. He has previously provoked a sharp public outcry with statements calling for Moscow to conduct “special military operations” in Central Asia and Armenia, similar to those in Ukraine.