The head of the Russian Orthodox Church had some chilling comments for Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, when blessing the president for his fifth term in office.
In a televised service, the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow read a passage from the bible to show the church’s support for the presidency – and then expressed hope that Putin would rule until the end of the century...
According to a translation from a former adviser to the Ukrainian government, Anton Gerashchenko, the patriarch reportedly said: “May God bless you so that the end of the century means the end of your time in power.
“You have everything you need to serve the country long and successfully.”
Putin is 71 and has already been in power for a quarter of a century.
Tuesday’s ceremony – which followed Russia’s presidential election – means he will now be in office until his 77th birthday.
The patriarch himself has been in his role since 2009 and is a close ally of the president.
And, according to a translation in the New York Times, the bishop made an apparent reference to the ongoing Ukraine war, too.
He reportedly said: “The head of state must sometimes make fateful and fearsome decisions.
“And if such a decision is not made, the consequences can be extremely dangerous for the people and the state.
“But these decisions are almost always associated with victims.”
Others claimed the patriarch welcomed Putin to the Kremlin’s Cathedral of Annunciation on Tuesday by accidentally calling the president “Your Highness”.
Other translations of Putin’s inauguration – including from the Financial Times’ Max Seddon – also suggested the Patriarch compared the president to the medieval ruler of Alexander Nevsky who was known for his military victories.
Putin, in the meantime, seemed to just look on while receiving this blessing, occasionally bowing or drawing a cross over himself.