Vladimir Putin visits the Vatican

(Patria) - Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Pope Francis and Italian political leaders in the Vatican on Thursday.

The third meeting between Putin and Pope Francis comes a day before Ukrainian Catholic leaders visit the Vatican. It is assumed they will discuss the crisis in Ukraine with the Pope.

The meetings are taking place several months after the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which had been under the control of the Russian Orthodox Church for centuries, declared independence.

Russia condemned the move, considering it more political than religious.

In an interview with Corriere Della Serra before his visit to the Vatican, Putin criticized the Ukrainian authorities for 'forced Ukrainization and the prohibition of the Russian language,' as well as 'the previous government's efforts to destroy the already fragile interreligious peace,' writes Euronews.

In the interview, Putin also touched upon the issue of alleged Russian interference in US elections and the internal affairs of some EU member states: 'I want to emphasize that we have never interfered, nor will we interfere, in the internal affairs of European Union member states or any other countries,' the Russian president stressed.

- We are interested in establishing full interaction between Russia and the EU, as well as maintaining peace, security, and stability on our common continent. We are ready for constructive cooperation with all political forces to whom European voters have given a mandate, said Vladimir Putin.