Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the funeral of Pope Francis, set for Saturday, an advisor to the Ukrainian president said.

The Argentine pontiff, 88, died on Monday from a stroke, less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling double pneumonia.

Dmytro Lytvyn told reporters on Tuesday that the Ukrainian leader would attend the funeral along with his wife Olena Zelenska.

Zelensky on Monday had paid tribute to Pope Francis, hailing him as someone who “prayed for peace in Ukraine.”

In 2024, two years after Russia invaded, the pontiff angered many in Ukraine by suggesting Kyiv should have “the courage of the white flag” and open negotiations with Russia.