Putin to miss Gorbachev's funeral due to his 'work schedule'


Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the funeral of late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died Tuesday at the age of 91, Reuters reports.
On Thursday, state television showed Putin visiting Gorbachev's coffin in Moscow's Central Clinical Hospital, where he "made a sign of the cross in Russian Orthodox fashion before briefly touching the edge of the coffin," Reuters writes.
Putin opted to pay his respects on Thursday because his "work schedule" will not allow him to attend the services on Sept. 3, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Peskov added that Gorbachev's ceremony would have "elements" of a state funeral, such as a "guard of honor, and a farewell ceremony."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
To that end, it's unclear how exactly Gorbachev's event might differ from an ordinary, full-fledged state funeral, CNN notes; but overall, the government's muted response to his death is in "stark contrast" to that which followed the loss of former President Boris Yeltsin back in 2007.
For one thing, Putin, who resented Gorbachev for bringing about the end of the USSR, took over 15 hours to share a tribute to the fallen leader and compatriot. Gorbachev, meanwhile, had "grown more critical of Putin and his increasingly restrictive regime in recent years," CNN adds.
Gorbachev will be buried next to his wife at Moscow's Novodevichy cemetery, per NBC News.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Will Donald Trump’s second state visit be a diplomatic disaster?
Today's Big Question Charlie Kirk shooting, Saturday’s far-right rally and continued Jeffrey Epstein fallout ramps-up risks of already fraught trip
-
England’s ‘dysfunctional’ children’s care system
In the Spotlight A new report reveals that protection of youngsters in care in England is failing in a profit-chasing sector
-
Cider farms to visit this autumn
The Week Recommends With harvest season fast approaching, spend an afternoon at one of these idyllic orchards
-
Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictator
In the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
-
‘Peak consumption has become the Holy Grail of the energy debate’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
Burkina Faso's misinformation war
Under The Radar The president of the West African country has quickly become the face of a viral, AI-powered propaganda campaign
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines