Moscow: Mikhail Gorbachev, who averted bloodshed to end the Cold War but was unable to save the fall of the Soviet Union, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91, according to hospital officials in Moscow.
The last Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev, negotiated arms reduction agreements with the United States and formed alliances with Western nations to bring about the collapse of the Iron Curtain, which had divided Europe since World War Two, and the reunification of Germany.
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However, his internal changes contributed to the Soviet Union’s decline until its dissolution, which President Vladimir Putin has dubbed the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe” of the 20th century.
According to Russia’s Central Clinical Hospital, Mikhail Gorbachev passed away tonight after a serious and protracted illness.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin conveyed “his profound sympathies.” He remarked, “He will send a telegraph of sympathy to his family and friends tomorrow.”
World leaders quickly expressed their gratitude. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, claimed that Gorbachev, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, had paved the path for a free Europe.
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.
R.I.P Mikhail Gorbachev
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) August 30, 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden said he had believed in “glasnost and perestroika – openness and restructuring – not as mere slogans, but as the path forward for the people of the Soviet Union after so many years of isolation and deprivation.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, citing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, said Gorbachev’s “tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all”.
I'm 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
