The Vatican has changed the protocol to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sit in the front row at Pope Francis' funeral, alongside US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Axar.az informs that the British newspaper The Telegraph reported this.

"According to traditional protocol, heads of state and government are seated in the French alphabetical order of their country's name at ceremonies. According to this rule, Zelensky was supposed to sit in the third row or further back. However, this time the Vatican made an exception to the protocol rules and allocated a place for the Ukrainian leader in the front rows.

This decision is due to President Zelensky's special importance to the international community against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis and the expected progress in peace talks soon. This step taken by the Vatican is also seen as a symbol of the importance attached to Ukraine's position in the world community," the publication noted.