MOSCOW (AP) — Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who helped end the Cold War and initiated sweeping reforms that precipitated the collapse of the Soviet Union, will be buried on Saturday in a modest ceremony in which the President rejects Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin’s refusal to call a state funeral reflects its horror at the legacy of Gorbachev, who was respected worldwide for breaking the Iron Curtain, but was vilified by many domestically due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing economic collapse. drove millions of people into poverty.
On Thursday, Putin privately laid flowers in his coffin at the Moscow hospital where Gorbachev died. The Kremlin said the president’s busy schedule would prevent him from attending the funeral.
The Kremlin said Putin could not attend Mikhail Gorbachev’s funeral on Saturday due to schedule conflicts.
It won’t be a full state funeral, but there will be “elements” of one, although it’s not clear how they’ll differ.
Instead, Putin laid flowers on Gorbachev’s coffin today. pic.twitter.com/HxO0ENkSos
— Max Seddon (@maxseddon) September 1, 2022
When asked what business Putin will be busy with on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the president will hold a series of working meetings, an international phone call and prepare for a business forum in Russia’s Far East. planning. to join next week. .
Gorbachev, who died at the age of 91 on Tuesday, will be buried next to his wife Raisa in the Moscow Novodevichy Cemetery after the farewell ceremony in the Hall of Columns, an iconic mansion near the Kremlin that has served as a state funeral since the Soviet era.
At Saturday’s ceremony, hundreds of mourners walked by Gorbachev’s open coffin accompanied by a guard of honor and laid flowers to solemn music. Gorbachev’s daughter Irina and her two grandchildren sat in the coffin.
Despite the prestigious choice of venue, the Kremlin has not called it a state funeral, and Peskov said the ceremony would have “elements” such as a guard of honor and government assistance in arrangements. He did not explain how it differs from a full state funeral.
Announcing Gorbachev’s state funeral will force Putin to attend and require Moscow to invite foreign leaders, something he is clearly reluctant to do amid heightened tensions with the West after sending troops to Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev, vice-chairman of the Russian Security Council, chaired by Putin, who served as the President of Russia between 2008 and 2012, attended the farewell ceremony.
A large number of foreign leaders are expected to attend the ceremony, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has often condemned Western sanctions against Russia.
Orban warns against ‘European empire’ on anniversary of 1956 anti-Soviet Hungarian revolution https://t.co/M7UN8a64tY
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) October 23, 2018
The nondescript ceremony contrasts with the flamboyant state funeral in 2007 of Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first post-Soviet leader, who chose Putin as his successor and resigned to set the stage for him to win the presidency.
Putin, who once called the collapse of the Soviet Union “the greatest geopolitical disaster of the century”, avoided direct personal criticism of Gorbachev, but repeatedly accused him of failing to receive a written commitment from the West that excluded NATO expansion. in the east. . The issue has damaged relations between Russia and the West for decades and caused tensions to explode when the Russian leader sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.
In a letter of condolence published Wednesday, carefully written, avoiding overt praise or criticism, Putin described Gorbachev as a man “who had an enormous impact on the course of world history.”
“In the face of large-scale foreign policy, economic and social challenges, he led the country in a period of complex and fundamental changes,” Putin said. Said. “He was very aware of the need for reform and tried to offer his own solutions to the problems.”
The Kremlin’s indecision towards Gorbachev was reflected in state television broadcasts, which highlighted his international recognition and high hopes for his reforms, but accused him of dragging the country into political and economic chaos, and thus failed to adequately protect the country’s interests. in negotiations. with the west.
The Soviet Union 25 years later: “The story of crushing tyranny and oceans of blood” https://t.co/paJZM9baV5 pic.twitter.com/CpmJ2CZ7Yo
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 24, 2016
Source: Breitbart
