Kremlin says Putin is skipping the funeral for Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, because he doesn't have the time

• Putin will not attend Gorbachev's funeral because he is too busy, the Kremlin said.

• The Kremlin said the ceremony for Gorbachev would have "elements" of a state funeral, hinting it would not follow tradition.

• Gorbachev has a complex legacy in Russia, where many blame him for the collapse of the USSR.

The Kremlin on Thursday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the funeral of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, citing scheduling conflicts.

"Unfortunately, the president's work schedule will not allow him to do this," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, per CNN. Putin visited Moscow's Central Clinical Hospital, where Gorbachev died earlier this week, and laid flowers, Peskov said.

The Kremlin spokesperson signaled that Gorbachev's funeral would not be a full state funeral but would have "elements" of one.

"There will be elements of a state funeral," Peskov said. "There will be a guard of honor, and a farewell ceremony will be organized. The state will assist in the organization."

Gorbachev is often praised in the West for his role in bringing about a peaceful end to the Cold War. The former Soviet leader received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his efforts in this regard.

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But he has a more complicated legacy within Russia itself, where many blame him for the collapse of the Soviet Union and view him as a leader who effectively destroyed an empire. Gorbachev instituted major political and economic reforms, known as perestroika and glasnost, that contributed to the USSR breaking apart.

Putin, an ex-KGB operative, has repeatedly exhibited nostalgia for the Soviet era. The Russian leader in 2005 said that the "demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century."

"As for the Russian people, it became a genuine tragedy. Tens of millions of our fellow citizens and countrymen found themselves beyond the fringes of Russian territory," Putin added.

On Wednesday, in comments that showcased the convoluted feelings toward Gorbachev in Russia, Peskov said that "Gorbachev gave an impulse for ending the Cold War and he sincerely wanted to believe that it would be over and an eternal romance would start between the renewed Soviet Union and the collective West."

"This romanticism failed to materialize. The bloodthirsty nature of our opponents has come to light, and it's good that we realized that in time," Peskov added.

In a statement on Gorbachev's death, Putin referred to the ex-Soviet leader as a "statesman who made an enormous impact on the trajectory of world history."

"He headed the country at a time of difficult, dramatic changes," Putin said. "He knew very well that reforms were necessary and looked to offer his own solutions."

Gorbachev died with his country waging an unprovoked war in Ukraine, a former Soviet republic. President Joe Biden earlier this year said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is indicative of Putin's desire to "reestablish the former Soviet Union."

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