Moscow, April 16, (dpa/GNA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has lauded the Orthodox Church on the second Easter since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He attended a service early Sunday in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour together with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill. Videos showed Putin and Sobyanin standing side by side with candles in their hands. Kirill also presented Putin with a decorated Easter egg.
In his Easter message published by the Kremlin, Putin praised the Russian Orthodox Church for its “active commitment to mercy and charity in the face of serious challenges” – seen as a nod to the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions on Russia.
“The wonderful, beloved Easter gives hope to believers, inspires good thoughts and deeds, and serves to reaffirm high moral ideals and values in society,” added the 70-year-old, who is facing an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Kirill is regarded as an ardent supporter of Putin’s war and has repeatedly defended it in the past, including in sermons.
GNA