Vladimir Putin will be notably absent from the funeral of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev today.
The 91-year-old, who helped bring the Cold War to a peaceful end, died on Tuesday.
The Russian president has praised Gorbachev's impact on world history but says he's got a busy work schedule today.
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Pavel Palazhchenko, Mr Gorbachev's former translator, says the pair clashed over the conflict in Ukraine.