The Kremlin issued a statement concerning whether Russian President Vladimir Putin, 72, will be able to make it to the late Pope Francis’ funeral or not.
Pope Francis’ death came as a shock to the world on Easter Monday, April 21, and his funeral is set to take place on April 26 with Royals, religious and political figures expected to be in attendance.
Many leaders will be in attendance
The 88-year-old Pope will be laid to rest at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
Trump was one of the first to confirm that he will be in attendance in the Vatican City, although he is not so fond of where he will be seated.
His death is so big issues were set aside
The Pope and Trump were not on the same page when it came down to many things, including Trump’s then-plans to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
However, Trump set these issues aside, and it’s unfathomable for leaders to miss out on such an important day.
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Putin’s spokesman confirmed Putin’s status
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin won’t be attending the funeral earlier this week, saying: “No. The president has no such plans,” when he was asked by reporters.
Instead, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova will be representing Russia in the Vatican City.
Even if he wanted to, he can’t
It is a massive risk for Putin to attend the funeral himself. Firstly, he hasn’t been to a Western country ever since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war three years ago.
Additionally, there is an international criminal court arrest warrant for him due to his alleged deportation of Ukrainian children.
He paid his tributes to the pope despite their differences
The Pope repeatedly called for peace between Russia and Ukraine, which Putin repeatedly ignored. However, the Russian president took the time to pay his respects to the late pope.
He called the pope a “defender of the highest values of humanism and justice.”
He even issued a statement
“Throughout the years of his pontificate, he actively promoted the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, as well as constructive cooperation between Russia and the Holy See,” Putin said, as reported by Reuters.
“In this sad hour, I would like to convey to you and the entire Catholic clergy my words of sympathy and support,” he added.
