The death on Tuesday evening at the age of 91 of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the USSR, aroused strong tributes in the West, where his crucial role in ending the Cold War and his fight for peace were hailed, taking on relief especially six months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The emotion of Western reactions contrasts with the sobriety of Russian President Vladimir Putin who simply expressed “his deep condolences” and who “will send (Wednesday) in the morning a telegram of condolences to the family and loved ones” of the former leader , according to the Kremlin spokesman.
In a statement, US President Joe Biden hailed Mikhail Gorbachev as a “rare leader”. His actions were those of a leader with enough “imagination to see that another future was possible and the courage to risk his entire career to achieve it. The result was a safer world and more freedom for millions of people,” Biden said.
For United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, “the world has lost a great world leader, committed to multilateralism, and a tireless defender of peace”.
The UN chief hailed, in a statement, “a unique statesman who changed the course of history” and did “more than anyone else to peacefully bring about the end of the Cold War “.
“I have always admired the courage and integrity he showed to end the Cold War,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also tweeted. “At a time of (Vladimir) Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example for all of us,” he insisted.
For Emmanuel Macron, Mikhail Gorbachev was a “man of peace whose choices opened a path to freedom for Russians. His commitment to peace in Europe has changed our common history,” said the French president in a tweet.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed on Twitter “a trusted and respected leader” who “played a crucial role in ending the Cold War and bringing down the Iron Curtain. He paved the way for a free Europe,” she said.
For the former Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize 2016, Juan Manuel Santos, Mikhail Gorbachev – who himself received this Nobel in 1990 – was “a champion of peace”. “The world needs many more leaders like him,” he wrote in a tweet.