The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Cirielli "overrides" Tajani and meets privately with the Russian ambassador: Meloni's anger

An interview held away from the official channels of the Farnesina threatens to open a deep rift within the executive. At the center of the affair is Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli, who had a face-to-face meeting with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Italy, Aleksej Paramonov.

According to press rumors collected by Corriere della sera, the summit took place in absolute secrecy on March 15, 2026, without informing the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni or the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

The reaction from Palazzo Chigi was very harsh. The break in the chain of command on such a sensitive dossier as relations with Moscow, in the midst of the war in Ukraine, triggered immediate irritation from the Prime Minister. Government sources speak of an initiative “not agreed upon” that led to a “frank” confrontation and a heavy chill between Meloni and Cirielli.

The political isolation of the Deputy Minister (currently unavailable for comments) is said to be such that he reportedly confided to his interlocutors: “Giorgia doesn’t respond to me”. The autonomous initiative of Cirielli — a leading figure of Fratelli d’Italia and until now aligned with the official pro-Ukrainian line — has caught both allies and the technical apparatus of the ministry off guard. Compounding the situation is the profile of the interlocutor. Paramonov is a diplomat with a high degree of “politicality”: in early February, he had openly attacked the Prime Minister, accusing her of “burying her head in the sand” regarding bilateral relations. He had previously been summoned by the Farnesina when Moscow included President Sergio Mattarella among the alleged “Russophobes”.

A secret meeting with a similar profile risks sending distorted and dangerous signals to both Moscow and the ally capitals. The misstep occurs in an already tense climate within the majority. On one hand, the Lega continues to push for a "energy realism" that hints at future openings to Russian gas; on the other hand, the controversy over the Venice Biennale (chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco), whose decision to admit the Russian pavilion has provoked outrage from 22 European countries and embarrassment for the government.