Russia's culture minister will attend the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, the Kremlin said.

Moscow announced the relatively low-key representative for the event, at which world leaders will gather at the Vatican, AFP reported.

"Culture Minister (Olga) Lyubimova, by (Vladimir) Putin's decision, will represent Russia at Pope Francis' funeral," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.

Putin has not traveled to a Western country since the offensive in Ukraine began in 2022.

An arrest warrant has been issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly forcibly deporting Ukrainian children. 

A day earlier, the Kremlin said Putin did not plan to attend the funeral.

The Russian leader has met the pope three times - in 2013, 2015 and 2019.

Pope Francis has repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine.

Ties between Moscow -- seat of the Russian Orthodox Church -- and the Vatican have been icy for centuries and no pope has visited Russia.

In 2016, Pope Francis met with Russian Patriarch Kirill in Cuba -- the first meeting between a Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch since the Great Schism in 1054 | BGNES