Mikhail Gorbachev, whose reforms brought about the end of the Cold War but led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, has died at 91.
Gorbachev, the first and only president of the Soviet Union, died on Tuesday after a long illness, Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital said in a statement.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is seen as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century.
Here are some of the reactions from across the world:
Russian President Vladimir Putin
He expressed “his deepest condolences,” his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency. “Tomorrow he will send a telegram of condolences to his family and friends.”
US President Joe Biden
“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. He believed in glasnost and perestroika – openness and restructuring – not as mere slogans, but as the path forward for the people of the Soviet Union after so many years of isolation and deprivation.
“These 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. The result was a safer world and greater freedom for millions of people.
“We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends, and to people everywhere who benefited from his belief in a better world.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
“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.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
“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.”
