Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend a state memorial for former Soviet head of state and party leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Saturday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced this in Moscow on Thursday. The funeral service will include “elements of a state funeral,” such as a guard of honour. He gave no further details.
Peskov cited a tight timetable as the reason for the absence of the Kremlin chief. Putin is on a business trip in Kaliningrad and therefore cannot attend. The Kremlin chief said goodbye to Gorbachev in person at Moscow’s central hospital on Thursday. The last president of the Soviet Union died there on Tuesday at the age of 91 after a long illness.
Putin praised Gorbachev for his zeal for reform
While politicians in the West praised his contributions to the peace and reunification of Germany, reactions in Russia were mixed. Many politicians blamed the former head of state for the collapse of the Soviet Union. In a telegram of condolences, Putin praised Gorbachev’s zeal for reform and his years of humanitarian activity.
In Russia, nationalist circles blame Gorbachev for the collapse of the Soviet Union, which Putin views as a geopolitical catastrophe. In Germany, Gorbachev is recognized as the politician who heralded the end of the Cold War and thus made reunification possible.
CSU party leader Markus Söder has proposed a separate act of mourning in Germany for the late former Soviet president. “There should be a German act of mourning for Mikhail Gorbachev,” Söder told the “Münchner Merkur”.
“Germany owes him a lot, he is one of the founders of reunification and has given freedom to millions of people. Germany should appreciate that.” Gorbachev stood for a path to peace and freedom and is a role model, especially today.
Source: Krone
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