Patriarch Kirill of All Russia held a prayer service ahead of the meeting between the presidents of Russia and the U.S.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia held a prayer service in the house chapel of the Patriarchal residence in Moscow, dedicated to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, before the start of “any good deed,” timed to coincide with the meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska.

This was reported on the Patriarchate’s website.

Before the service began, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church spoke about the historic significance of the meeting.

“Let us offer a sincere prayer to the Lord, that He may incline His mercy, that He may assist the cooperation of the leaders of the two most powerful states on the planet, so that as a result of this meeting the threat of armed conflict is completely overcome and relations between the peoples of Russia and the United States of America may develop comprehensively,” Kirill said.

He believes that the summit in Alaska “will bring hope and peace to all humanity, and the world will, in a sense, breathe a sigh of relief.”

“All the signs we see today indicate that the two leaders are ready to go down exactly this path,” the Patriarch added.

He also recited a prayer asking for Putin to be strengthened and for a guardian angel to be appointed to the members of the Russian delegation.

A prayer service for the success of the Alaska negotiations was also held in the morning at the Valaam Monastery in Karelia.