Russian President Vladimir Putin. Getty Images/Sean Gallup

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to attend the funeral of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

Peskov said Putin had a busy schedule preparing for a major speech.

Vyacheslav Volodin, a close Putin ally and the speaker of the Russian State Duma or lower house of parliament, would head the Russian delegation to the funeral, said Peskov.