Putin says Gorbachev ‘had huge impact on course of global history’

Kremlin appears guarded over whether ex-Soviet leader will receive state funeral of be dealt final snub

Vladimir Putin has sent official condolences to the family of Mikhail Gorbachev as the Kremlin broke its silence over the death of the last leader of the Soviet Union. But it has demurred on whether Gorbachev will receive a state funeral or be dealt a final snub by a successor who tore down his legacy.

The tussle over Gorbachev's memory will play out in public and private in the coming days in Russia, signalling whether his policies of reform and openness can still find a place in this country's official ideology, or if they too have been consigned to the ash heap of Russian history.