Vladimir Putin has expressed his "deepest sympathies" following the death of Mikhail Gorbachev whose achievement in bringing about the peaceful ending of the Cold War is being undone by the current Russian leader.
Gorbachev, the last Soviet president, forged arms reduction deals with the United States and partnerships with Western powers to remove the Iron Curtain that had divided Europe since World War Two and bring about the reunification of Germany.
But while he is championed abroad for bringing about reform and "glasnost" - openness - his popularity is more mixed within Russia as he oversaw the collapse of the Soviet Union .
