Mikhail Gorbachev's funeral nightmare of Vladimir Putin as he fears exposing his health to the west

Vladimir Putin pays tribute to 91-year-old Mikhail Gorbachev following his death, but the funeral of the last leader of the Soviet Union poses problems for Russia and its president

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Mikhail Gorbachev's funeral is as big a problem for Russian President Vladimir Putin as it is for the West.

After the 91-year-old's death, dictator Putin paid tribute saying he had "a huge impact on the course of world history".

The last leader of the Soviet Union was someone who found "his own solutions to pressing problems", Putin said.

But his death in the middle of the war in Ukraine and the breakdown of relations with America and Europe will probably prevent great world leaders or former Western statesmen from traveling to Moscow to give them a last tribute.

When Boris Yeltsin died in 2007, former US Presidents George Bush Senior and Bill Clinton were both present and, for Britain, Prince Andrew - then a serving royal - and the former Prime Minister Sir John Major flew to Moscow.

Mikhail Gorbachev was celebrated by world leaders - who are unlikely to attend his funeral (

Picture:

Nick Harvey/WireImage.com)