Mikhail Gorbachev, who ended the Cold War without bloodshed but was unable to prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union, died Tuesday at the age of 91, a Moscow hospital said. Below are some reactions from around the world:
President Mikhail Gorbachev leaving the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow on November 7, 1990 after two shots were fired at him.
(dpa) According to a spokesman, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his deepest sympathy for the death of Mikhail Gorbachev. Putin will send the family a telegram on Wednesday morning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Tuesday evening in Moscow.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has highlighted the importance of the former Soviet head of state Mikhail Gorbachev for Europe. “He played a crucial role in ending the Cold War and the fall of the Iron Curtain,” von der Leyen wrote on Twitter on Tuesday evening. She described Gorbachev as a leader who was reliable and respected. «He paved the way for a free Europe. We will never forget this legacy.”
Mikhail Gorbachev was a trusted and respected leader. He played a crucial role to end the Cold War and bring down the Iron Curtain. It opened the way for a free Europe.
This legacy is one we will not forget.
RIP Mikhail Gorbachev
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) August 30, 2022
Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, left, and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, right, during the signing of a major treaty on “good neighborliness, partnership and cooperation” in Bonn, November 9, 1990.
Several German federal politicians also paid tribute to the Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner shortly after his death became known. Without Gorbachev, “the peaceful revolutions in the countries of the Eastern Bloc would not have been conceivable here,” wrote Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens) on Twitter. “His words have encouraged us, made me strong.”
Germany owes a lot to Gorbachev, Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) also wrote on Twitter. «He ushered in the end of the Cold War, enabled Germany’s reunification and gave his country a democratic momentum. A brave man of conviction whose voice will be missed.”
Mikhail Gorbachev in Bonn at the ‘bath in the crowd’, right. from him the Lord Mayor of Bonn, Hans Daniels, Raisa Gorbatschova, the Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadse – June 1989 during a state visit to the Federal Republic of Germany.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz wrote on Twitter: “The CDU mourns the loss of a statesman who Germany could trust and who trusted us.” Without him, “German unity in freedom” would not have been possible.
Without Mikhail Gorbachev, German unity in freedom would not have been possible. The CDU mourns the loss of a statesman whom Germany could trust and who trusted us. (FM)
— Friedrich Merz (@_FriedrichMerz) August 30, 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid tribute to the former Soviet leader, saying: “I have always admired the courage and integrity he showed in bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end,” Johnson wrote, also introducing Gorbachev to the Russian to President Vladimir Putin. “At a time of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, his relentless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to all of us,” Johnson wrote.
I am saddened to hear of the death of Gorbachev.
I always admired the courage & integrity he showed in bringing the Cold War to a peaceful conclusion.
In a time of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 30, 2022
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of the former Soviet leader. Guterres said on Tuesday that he was a “unique statesman” who changed the course of history. “He did more than anyone else to bring the Cold War to a peaceful end.” The 73-year-old Portuguese expressed his condolences to the family of Gorbachev and the people of Russia. The statement by the Nobel Peace Prize winner that peace is not unity in similarity, but unity in diversity, was put into practice with his policy.
Mikhail Gorbachev was a one-of-a-kind statesman who changed the course of history.
The world has lost a towering global leader, committed multilateralist, and tireless advocate for peace.
I’m deeply saddened by his passing. pic.twitter.com/giu2RHSjrQ
— Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 30, 2022
The Reagan Foundation and Institute mourns the loss of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, a man who was once a political opponent of Ronald Reagan and eventually became a friend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Gorbachev family and the Russian people.”
Meeting of President Reagan with Soviet Secretary General Gorbachev at the Maison de Saussure during the Geneva Summit, November 20, 1985.
Former US Secretary of State James Baker III said: “History will remember Mikhail Gorbachev as a giant who led his great nation to democracy. He played the pivotal role in bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end by deciding against the use of force to hold the empire together… The free world misses him greatly.”
Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: “I am saddened by the passing of Mikhail Gorbachev. He was a man trying to give his people a better life. His life was of great importance because without him and his courage it would not have been possible to end the Cold War peacefully.”
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said: “He was a good friend, surprising as that may seem… He was a very pleasant person to get along with and had a great vision for the future of his country, which is contrary to what is now being articulated. History will remember him as a great leader who made change happen.”