Comment World leaders reacted to the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, in Moscow at the age of 91 on Tuesday, with Western leaders hailing him for opening up the Soviet Union and creating the conditions for the end of the Cold War . President Biden, in a statement, called Gorbachev “a man of remarkable vision.” He also said that the Soviet leader’s policies of “glasnost” and “perestroika”, the The opening and restructuring were the “acts of a rare leader — one with the imagination to see that a different future was possible and the courage to risk his entire career to achieve it.” To say he risked his career is perhaps an understatement – the dislike for Gorbachev among many Soviet loyalists was so clear that he became the focus of a Pizza Hut advert in which he starred. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his “heartfelt condolences,” a spokesman told the Interfax news agency, adding that Putin would “send a telegram of condolence to his family and friends.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Gorbachev “is a politician who will forever remain in the history of our country. Many argue about the role he played. But the fact that he was an extraordinary man, a unique man, is indisputable. He is known, remembered and will be remembered all over the world. “Gorbachev pushed for the end of the Cold War and genuinely wanted to believe that it would end and that an eternal romantic period between the new Soviet Union and the West would begin,” Peskov continued, and used the opportunity to blast the West, which has supported Ukraine in its fight against the invasion of Russia. “This romance did not materialize… the bloodlust of our adversaries appeared.” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply saddened” by Gorbachev’s death. “Mikhail Gorbachev was a unique politician who changed the course of history,” he tweeted. “The world has lost a towering world leader, committed multilateralist and tireless champion of peace.” Mikhail Gorbachev, last leader of the Soviet Union, dies aged 91 Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, an expert on the Soviet Union and Russia, said on Twitter that Gorbachev’s life was “consequential because, without him and his courage, it would not have been possible to end the Cold War peacefully.” There was no immediate official reaction from Beijing, the capital of the world’s last communist heavyweight. However, the state-run Global Times newspaper, citing online backlash among Chinese citizens and academics, wrote that “in a historical reflection, Gorbachev is naïve and immature”, adding that he will be remembered as “a tragic figure who served the US in the West without principles”. To the Chinese On the microblogging service Weibo, the hashtag “GorbachevDeath” was trending on Wednesday, with some calling him a traitor and warning China to monitor similar elements that could sabotage the country’s communist system. Fred Ryan, chairman of the board of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, said in a statement that former first lady Nancy Reagan was “extremely moved” when Gorbachev attended Reagan’s state funeral. “It was further confirmation that the two men had truly formed a friendship and not just a business relationship,” said Ryan, who is also the publisher and CEO of the Washington Post. “Against all odds, ‘Ron and Michael,’ as they eventually called each other, had found a way to make the planet safer together,” he said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a press conference that “Gorbachev played an important role in overcoming a post-World War II divide in Europe and the East-West conflict.” Kishida, who is originally from Hiroshima, said Gorbachev “had left behind great [accomplishments] as a world leader who supports the abolition of nuclear weapons.” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter that “at a time of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, [Gorbachev’s] The tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example for us all.” Mary Ilyushina and Lyric Li contributed to this report.
