Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova will represent Russia at the funeral of Pope Francis, the decision was made by President Vladimir Putin, RIA Novosti news agency reports.

The Kremlin's number one, however, could not be present by virtue of the international arrest warrant hanging over his head.

Israel, on the other hand, will be represented only by its ambassador to the Vatican, the Times of Israel reports. Diplomatic sources stress that the decision is a sign of how much relations between Israel and the Vatican have deteriorated since the start of the war with Hamas in Gaza in 2023. As has already been demonstrated by the Israeli government's order to delete an official social media post expressing condolences for Bergoglio's death.

(Online Union)

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