Putin won't attend Pope's funeral

Putin, Pope Francis

 Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose foreign travel is limited by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, will not attend Pope Francis’s funeral, the Kremlin said Tuesday.

“No. The president has no such plans,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked if Putin, who is subject to the ICC warrant for the alleged forced deportation of children during Russia’s offensive on Ukraine, would not be present at the funeral on Saturday.

Before the funeral takes place at 10am local time (9am BST), Pope Francis’ body will be moved from the Chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae to St Peter’s Basilica.

It will remain at the Basilica for three days for the public to pay their last respects to the late Catholic Church leader.

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