Several world leaders have reacted to the death of former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91. Prime Minister Mark Rutte writes: on Twitter that the world is losing “a brave reformer with immense influence over history.” He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for paving the way for the end of both the Cold War and the arms race. My thoughts are with his relatives,” Rutte writes.
US President Joe Biden looks in a long statement back to the legacy of Gorbachev, who has been called “a man of remarkable vision.” “These were the deeds of a rare leader – someone with the imagination to see that another future was possible and the courage to risk his entire career to make it happen. The result was a safer world and more freedom for millions of people,” Biden said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls Gorbachev ‘a trustworthy and respected leader’ in a statement on Twitter. “He played a vital role in ending the Cold War and bringing down the Iron Curtain. He opened the way for a free Europe. We will not forget this legacy.”
Also read: Mikhail Gorbachev, brave fighter who killed communism
Putin expresses ‘deepest condolences’
UN chief António Guterres Gorbachev was “a unique statesman who changed the course of history.” French President Emmanuel Macron says much the same about the former Russian president. “His commitment to peace in Europe changed our common history,” Macron wrote on Twitter.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson links Gorbachev’s death to Ukraine’s war. “I have always admired the courage and integrity he displayed in bringing the Cold War to a peaceful end,” he said. said Johnson. “At a time of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also responded to Gorbachev’s death, reports the Russian news agency TASS. “Vladimir Putin expresses his deepest condolences on the death of Mikhail Gorbachev. In the morning, he will send a telegram with condolences to the relatives and friends,” said his spokesman Dmitri Peskov.