Italy’s foreign ministry said it considered “the inclusion of the head of state in this list a provocation against the republic and the Italian people“

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also on the list

ROME: Italy on Wednesday summoned Russia’s ambassador after Moscow included Italian President Sergio Mattarella on a list of Western officials critical of the Kremlin.

Relations between Rome and Moscow — already strained by the Kremlin’s Ukraine invasion — have dipped further in recent days, with Italy canceling a concert last week of a pro-Kremlin maestro.

Italy’s foreign ministry said it considered “the inclusion of the head of state in this list a provocation against the republic and the Italian people.”