Russian President Vladimir Putin is to miss the funeral of the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, denying the man who failed to prevent the collapse of the Soviet empire the full state honours granted to Boris Yeltsin.

Gorbachev, idolised in the West for allowing eastern Europe to escape Soviet communist control but unloved at home for the chaos that his "perestroika" reforms unleashed, will be buried on Saturday after a public ceremony in Moscow's Hall of Columns.

The grand hall, within sight of the Kremlin, hosted the funerals of Soviet leaders Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin and Leonid Brezhnev. Gorbachev will be given a military guard of honour - but his funeral will not be a state one.

State television on Thursday showed Putin solemnly placing red roses beside Gorbachev's coffin - left open as is traditional in Russia - in Moscow's Central Clinical Hospital, where he died on Tuesday aged 91.

Putin made a sign of the cross in Russian Orthodox fashion before briefly touching the edge of the coffin.

"Unfortunately, the president's work schedule will not allow him to do this on Sept. 3, so he decided to do it today," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He said Gorbachev's ceremony would have "elements" of a state funeral, and that the state was helping to organise it.

Nevertheless, it will be a marked contrast to the funeral of Yeltsin, who was instrumental in sidelining Gorbachev as the Soviet Union fell apart and hand-picked Putin, a career KGB intelligence officer, as the man most suited to succeed him.

When Yeltsin died in 2007, Putin declared a national day of mourning and, alongside world leaders, attended a grand state funeral in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

Russia's intervention in Ukraine appears aimed at reversing at least in part the collapse of the Soviet Union that Gorbachev failed to prevent in 1991.

Gorbachev's decision to let the countries of the post-war Soviet communist bloc go their own way, and East and West Germany to reunify, helped to trigger nationalist movements within the 15 Soviet republics that he was powerless to quell.

Five years after taking power in 2000, Putin called the breakup of the Soviet Union "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century".

It took Putin more than 15 hours after Gorbachev's death to publish a restrained message of condolence that said Gorbachev had had a "huge impact on the course of world history" and "deeply understood that reforms were necessary" to tackle the problems of the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Gorbachev's foundation said the funeral would begin at 12 noon (0900 GMT), not 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) as previously announced.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-will-not-attend-gorbachev-funeral-due-scheduling-constraints-kremlin-2022-09-01/

Putin doesn't like Gorbachev, to him, Gorbachev was a western puppet

He's obviously illogical and unreasonable enough. If he's, the Ukraine War would have even been avoided, while Ukraine still doesn't join NATO and EU.

Very illogical.

God1000:
Putin doesn't like Gorbachev, to him, Gorbachev was a western puppet

To be honest Gorbachev does not deserve a state burial. He allowed the USSR to collapse willingly which was a win for their enemy the Western bloc led by the U.S. He thought he was championing world peace not knowing that the west is never to be trusted. Look at how the west has treated Russia with contempt since the collapse of USSR.

They stopped giving Russia the respect it deserves after the collapse thank God Russia still has nuclear weapons if not that country would have been invaded and disintegrated by now cause that's the plan America and its NATO thugs have for Russia.

Even Gorbachev later regretted his actions if you have watched some of the interviews he granted since the beginning of this millenium most of them have been about regrets of his Perestroika and Glasnosts policies and allowing the USSR to collapse. The nobel peace prize he got in return does not worth what Russia is experiencing at the hand of the west today.

Gorbachev only served the interest of America and its western allies by allowing the USSR to collapse and Russia has paid serverly for his foolishness.

Every leader has his opinion. Maybe one day when Putin also dies, a Russian president who never sided with the Russian-Ukrainian war will also be in power and will do exactly the same thing that Putin is doing now during Gobakhev's burial, it is a continuous cycle

Russians not Putin
Gorbachev destroyed USSR which destroyed Russia as Yeltsin became Russia president and Yeltsin completed destroyed Russia to the states that USA was sending foods to Russia.
Russia economy was dump
Yeltsin was loved by the west as he was a drunken, making mocking of the office of Russia president.
He sold all the resources to UK, USA and France companies.
If Putin tried to give Gorbachev a state burial, it will cost Putin massive bash from both anti Putin and pro Putin Russians.

dermmy:


To be honest Gorbachev does not deserve a state burial. He allowed the USSR to collapse willingly which was a win for their enemy the Western bloc led by the U.S. He thought he was championing world peace not knowing that the west is never to be trusted. Look at how the west has treated Russia with contempt since the collapse of USSR.

They stopped giving Russia the respect it deserves after the collapse thank God Russia still has nuclear weapons if not that country would have been invaded and disintegrated by now cause that's the plan America and its NATO thugs have for Russia.

Even Gorbachev later regretted his actions if you have watched some of the interviews he granted since the beginning of this millenium most of them have been about regrets of his Perestroika and Glasnosts policies and allowing the USSR to collapse. The nobel peace prize he got in return does not worth what Russia is experiencing at the hand of the west today.

Gorbachev only served the interest of America and its western allies by allowing the USSR to collapse and Russia has paid serverly for his foolishness.

USSR was established through conquest and coercion. Putin wants to reestablish it through another conquest and coersion. That is the reason for Ukraine war.

joyandfaith:

USSR was established through [b]conquest and coercion[/b]. Putin wants to reestablish it through another conquest and coersion. That is the reason for Ukraine war.

wrong, the USSR was came into existence through treaty.

mysticwarrior:
wrong, the USSR was came into existence through treaty.

Proof? Ukraine fought against Russia for about 4 years. Ukraine lost in 1922 and ussr was formed.

Gorbatchev should have allowed economical reform in the Soviet Union , let Germany re-unify and crack down on micro-nationalism.

joyandfaith:

Proof? Ukraine fought against Russia for about 4 years. Ukraine lost in 1922 and ussr was formed.

When Ukraine along side Russia were the founding leaders of USSR.
Lenin promised to give many of now Ukraine land to Ukraine if they joined USSR.
Most of current Ukraine land belong to Poland, Hungary and Russia.

joyandfaith:

USSR was established through conquest and coercion. Putin wants to reestablish it through another conquest and coersion. That is the reason for Ukraine war.

US, UK was established through conquest and coercion...
Those two countries set the path for USSR emergence just as Kosovo set the path for Donbass...

joyandfaith:

USSR was established through conquest and coercion. Putin wants to reestablish it through another conquest and coersion. That is the reason for Ukraine war.

Wrong. Putin is not interested in reestablishing the USSR. NATO's eastward expansion is the sole cause of this damn conflict.

joyandfaith:

Proof? Ukraine fought against Russia for about 4 years. Ukraine lost in 1922 and ussr was formed.

was Ukraine forced to be a part of the USSR?

dermmy:


To be honest Gorbachev does not deserve a state burial. He allowed the USSR to collapse willingly which was a win for their enemy the Western bloc led by the U.S. He thought he was championing world peace not knowing that the west is never to be trusted. Look at how the west has treated Russia with contempt since the collapse of USSR.

They stopped giving Russia the respect it deserves after the collapse thank God Russia still has nuclear weapons if not that country would have been invaded and disintegrated by now cause that's the plan America and its NATO thugs have for Russia.

Even Gorbachev later regretted his actions if you have watched some of the interviews he granted since the beginning of this millenium most of them have been about regrets of his Perestroika and Glasnosts policies and allowing the USSR to collapse. The nobel peace prize he got in return does not worth what Russia is experiencing at the hand of the west today.

Gorbachev only served the interest of America and its western allies by allowing the USSR to collapse and Russia has paid serverly for his foolishness.

Gorbachev action of allowing the USSR to collasped was a dent to bipolar balance of power. The USSR and the Warsaw pact was a powerful force which put fear on the heart of their rival.

Following the disintegration of the soviet union there was almost a unipolar power for decades until the Russians bounced back and keep the US and NATO in check.

The Russian presence in the Syrian war sent a strong message to west after their military demonstrated dominance in air superiority by controlling the Syrian sky.

Even after multiple sanctions were placed on Russia due to the war in Ukraine, it only made the Russians to be
stronger, vicious and more deadly in Ukraine, Gorbachev made a mistake but the Russian federation which ceeded from the USSR is very formidable.

mysticwarrior:
was Ukraine forced to be a part of the USSR?

Yes. They lost. Read about Russian revolution and civil war.

ocelot2006:


Wrong. Putin is not interested in reestablishing the USSR. NATO's eastward expansion is the sole cause of this damn conflict.

Putin has suxcessful brought nato weapons to his border. Sweden and Finland are on their way to NATO.
It does not have to be ussr. Russia empire underwent metamorphosis to ussr. Imperialism comes in many forms.
Also note that Russia is also expanding her influence into west sphere of influence in Asia, Africa and South America. China is doing the same things.
Ukraine war is about land acquisition, sphere of influence and world domination.

seunny4lif:

When Ukraine along side Russia were the founding leaders of USSR.
Lenin promised to give many of now Ukraine land to Ukraine if they joined USSR.
Most of current Ukraine land belong to Poland, Hungary and Russia.

Have u seen this map. Kiev is older than Moscow. You cannot give me what you forcefully collected from me. Meanwhile, Ukraine lost war of independence in 1920/1921 and forced to join ussr.

joyandfaith:


Putin has suxcessful brought nato weapons to his border. Sweden and Finland are on their way to NATO.
It does not have to be ussr. Russia empire underwent metamorphosis to ussr. Imperialism comes in many forms.
Also note that Russia is also expanding her influence into west sphere of influence in Asia, Africa and South America. China is doing the same things.
Ukraine war is about land acquisition, sphere of influence and world domination.

Sweden and Finland have always been NATO leaning. Even Putin wasn't moved by their decision to make the relationship with the alliance formal as it was no surprise at all. Even at that, the Swedes have said they won't allow NATO station missiles on their territory. So it's all good.

joyandfaith:

USSR was established through conquest and coercion. Putin wants to reestablish it through another conquest and coersion. That is the reason for Ukraine war.

rubbish be hearing this for long if you claim was right he would have raze down Kiev
That just a fairy tale

joyandfaith:

Proof? Ukraine fought against Russia for about 4 years. Ukraine lost in 1922 and ussr was formed.

do you know Stalin was not a Russian?

joyandfaith:

Proof? Ukraine fought against Russia for about 4 years. Ukraine lost in 1922 and ussr was formed.

Russia was even forced into the USSR

joyandfaith:


Yes. They lost. Read about Russian revolution and civil war.

The major reason for the Russian Revolution was to oust the Russian monarchy. The USSR was a confederation which was formed through treaty and agreement just like the former Czechoslovakia and Senegambia.

In a confederation there is right of secession which means any party involved has the right to leave whenever they wish. Unlike federal system where there is no right of secession.

mysticwarrior:

The major reason for the Russian Revolution was to oust the Russian monarchy. The USSR was a confederation which was formed through treaty and agreement just like the former Czechoslovakia and Senegambia.

In a confederation there is right of secession which means any party involved has the right to leave whenever they wish. Unlike federal system where there is no right of secession.

Go and read about Russian revolution and civil war that followed it.

ken6488:
Russia was even forced into the USSR

Yes by Red Bolshevik

ken6488:
do you know Stalin was not a Russian?

But not an ukranian. Georgians are paying the price now. He was an useful idiot for Russian hegemony
in ussr like Gowon for fulani hegemony.

ocelot2006:


Sweden and Finland have always been NATO leaning. Even Putin wasn't moved by their decision to make the relationship with the alliance formal as it was no surprise at all. Even at that, the Swedes have said they won't allow NATO station missiles on their territory. So it's all good.

It doesn't not matter.

Gorbachev made the USSR collapse.

He should have arrested people like Yeltsin and send them to jail.