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Casablanca – Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet president in Russia, who successfully ended the Cold War without violence but expedited the collapse of the USSR in the process, died on August 30 at the age of 91, triggering a global response.
“Mikhail Gorbachev passed away tonight [August 30] after a serious and protracted disease,” said Russia’s Central Clinical Hospital.
As well as being one of the twentieth century’s most influential leaders Gorbachev was the first and only Soviet president to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He won the prestigious prize in 1990 for his contributions to the de-escalation of Cold War tensions.
Gorbachev took office in 1985 and embarked on a wave of political and economic changes to modernize and democratize the Soviet Union, which at that time was in deep crisis.
He served as President of the Soviet Union between 1990 and 1991. before having to retire on December 25, 1991, resulting in the collapse of the USSR.
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Gorbachev’s passing has been met with an outpouring of condolence messages and laudatory eulogies from world leaders, including from Russia’s current President Vladimir Putin.
Putin expressed “his deepest condolences,” according to his spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov. “Tomorrow he will send a telegram of condolences to his [Gorbachev’s] family and friends,” Peskov noted.
In a statement, US President Joe Biden praised Mikhail Gorbachev naming him a “rare leader,” while expressing his “deepest condolences to his family and friends, and to people everywhere who benefited from his belief in a better world.”
The American president continued, “Mikhail Gorbachev was a man of remarkable vision. As leader of the USSR, he worked with President Reagan to reduce our two countries’ nuclear arsenals, to the relief of people worldwide praying for an end to the nuclear arms race. After decades of brutal political repression, he embraced democratic reforms.”
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, also expressed his heartfelt condolences, saying: “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.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also expressed her grief, stating: “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.”
Joining the chorus of mourners of the last Soviet Leader, French President Emmanuel Macron also described Gorbachev as “a man of peace whose decisions opened a path to freedom for Russians. His commitment to peace in Europe changed our shared history.”
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The Reagan Foundation and Institute also joined in the celebration of Gorbachev as a great leader and a man of peace. “The Reagan Foundation and Institute mourns the loss of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, a man who once was a political adversary of Ronald Reagan’s who ended up becoming a friend,” it tweeted. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Gorbachev family and the people of Russia.”
The Former US Secretary of State, James Baker III, also sent his condolences, saying: “History will remember Mikhail Gorbachev as a giant who steered his great nation towards democracy. He played the critical role in a peaceful conclusion of the Cold War by his decision against using force to hold the empire together… The free world misses him greatly.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacted with “sadness”, stating in a tweet: “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.”
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney also expressed sorrow at the last Russian leader’s passing. “He was a good friend, surprising as that might seem … He was a very pleasant man to deal with and he had great vision for the future of his country which is antithetical to that being articulated now. History will remember him as a great transformational leader.”
Juan Manuel Santos, former Colombian president and winner of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize, described Gorbachev as – “a champion of peace.” He tweeted: “The world needs many more leaders like him.”
