The patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church is consecrating a new church near the Eiffel Tower seen as a controversial symbol of President Vladimir Putin's influence in Europe. Patriarch Kirill, an ally of Putin, is presiding over a blessing ceremony Sunday in the Saint Trinity Church on the banks of the Seine River. Members of France's large Russian community crowded in for the invitation-only event. The imposing, block-shaped white church, topped by an 8-ton gold onion dome, is the centrepiece of a new €100 million euro ($106 million) complex owned by the Russian government. Since the 2008 sale of the site to Russia, diplomatic relations have soured over Moscow's actions in Syria and Ukraine.

Source: Fox News December 04, 2016 08:03 UTC