Death Tuesday evening at 91 by Mikhail Gorbachevthe 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 particular importance 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.
This Wednesday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to the last leader by thanking him “for his decisive contribution to German unity”. By his actions, Mikhail Gorbachev showed that he was “a great statesman” endowed with “courage for democratic openness and building bridges between East and West” and for peace in Europe, he said in a statement. Gorbachev died when “democracy failed in Russia” and “when Moscow and Russian President (Vladimir) Putin dug new ditches in Europe,” noted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“His commitment has changed our common history”
Tributes have been mounting in Europe, where some leaders hailed his democratic reforms as his crucial role in ending the Cold War. In France, President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to a “man of peace whose choices have opened a path to freedom for Russians”. “His commitment to peace in Europe has changed our common history,” he added. in a tweet.
In Brussels, the President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen regretted “a trustworthy and respected leader” who “played a crucial role in (…) bringing down the iron curtain. The “courage” and “integrity” of the former leader were again praised by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “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.
A “tireless defender of peace”
Marked tributes echoed across the Atlantic. US President Joe Biden hailed in Mikhail Gorbachev a “rare leader”. His actions were those of a leader with “the 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,” said the US head of state.
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 “. Same story within NATO where the secretary general of the organization, Jens Stoltenberg, spoke of “historic reforms” and a “vision of a better world which remains an example”.
A “champion of peace”
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.
Finally, China offered its condolences to the family and hailed the role of the last Soviet leader in bringing Beijing and Moscow closer together, after three decades of rupture. “Mr. Gorbachev has made a positive contribution to the normalization of relations between China and the Soviet Union,” said a spokesman for Chinese diplomacy, Zhao Lijian.