- Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his "deepest condolences" over Queen Elizabeth's death.
- In a telegram to King Charles III, Putin said the queen had "rightfully" enjoyed the love of her subjects.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed his "deepest condolences" over the death of Queen Elizabeth.
In a telegram to King Charles III, Britain's new monarch, Putin said the queen — who passed away at the age of 96 — was a major historical figure during her 70-year reign.
"For many decades," he wrote, "Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage."
The message comes despite Britain's royal family expressing support for Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February. Putin is also overwhelmingly unpopular in the United Kingdom: a March survey by YouGov found that 88% of Britons hold an unfavorable opinion of the Russian president.
At one of her final meetings with a head of state, Queen Elizabeth appeared for photographs with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in front of a bouquet of blue-and-yellow flowers, the national colors of Ukraine.
In March, then-Prince Charles also traveled to Romania to stand with Ukrainian refugees, describing their plight as a "nightmare situation."
In his message on Thursday, Putin made no mention of war or politics.
"I wish you courage and perseverance in the face of this heavy, irreparable loss," he told King Charles. "I ask you to convey the words of sincere sympathy and support to the members of the royal family and all the people of Great Britain."
Putin and Queen Elizabeth met in 2003 when the Russian president was on a state visit to Britain. According to former UK Home Secretary David Blunkett, she was not pleased when Putin showed up 14 minutes late to their meeting.
Speaking to the BBC, Blunkett recounted apologizing to the monarch for his guide dog barking at Putin, which prompted Elizabeth — a notorious canine aficionado — to quip: "Dogs have interesting instincts, don't they?"
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