No one is a prophet in his country: this expression resonates particularly when Mikhail Gorbachev died Tuesday evening at 91 years old. If the death of the last leader of the USSR has aroused vibrant tributes in the West, where his crucial role in ending the Cold War and his fight for peace have been hailed, the contrast with the sobriety of the Kremlin is striking.
Russian President Vladimir Putin thus simply expressed “his deep condolences” and “will send (this Wednesday) in the morning a telegram of condolences to the family and loved ones” of the former leader, according to the Kremlin spokesman. US President Joe Biden hailed Mikhail Gorbachev as 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.”
Johnson’s parallel with Ukraine
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 head of the UN hailed “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.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed “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”. Finally, 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.