Putin's Approval Rating Rises

 Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Orthodox Easter prayer service in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow. On April 23, Russian President Putin attended the Easter Vigil Mass in Moscow as usual. The Russian Orthodox Patriarch expressed in his ceremony speech "I hope the cannibalistic conflict will end as soon as possible and the long-awaited peace will be restored". Pope Francis this week announced the cancellation of a June meeting with the Russian Orthodox Patriarch, who is seen as a supporter of President Putin. The latest polls show Putin's approval rating has risen to 81.6 percent, up from 67.2 percent before the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out.

Photo: By Sergei Fadeichev