World leaders were quick to pay tribute to Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader who oversaw the collapse of the USSR and lifted the Iron Curtain, marking a pivotal turning point in world history. Gorbachev died at a hospital in Moscow on Tuesday aged 91.
Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union and, for many, the man who restored democracy to several communist-ruled European nations, was mourned Wednesday as a leader who changed the world and for a time gave hope for peace among the superpowers.
Gorbachev's funeral will be held on Saturday in the Moscow Hall of Columns, historically used for funeral services of high officials, including Joseph Stalin in 1953.
Here are some of the reactions to his death from across the world.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russia's leader Vladimir Putin said Gorbachev made a "huge impact" on world history.
"Mikhail Gorbachev was a politician and statesman who had a huge impact on the course of world history," Putin said in a statement from the Kremlin, adding that he led the country "during a period of complex, dramatic changes".
UN chief Antonio Guterres
Guterres in a statement praised Gorbachev as "a one-of-a-kind statesman who changed the course of history" and "did more than any other individual to bring about the peaceful end of the Cold War".
The statement, which was posted on Twitter, said the world has lost "a towering global leader, committed multilateralist and tireless advocate for peace".
French President Emmanuel Macron
Macron praised Gorbachev as a "man of peace" and sent his "condolences for the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, a man of peace whose choices opened up a path of liberty for Russians. His commitment to peace in Europe changed our shared history".
US President Joe Biden
Biden hailed Gorbachev as a "rare leader" who made the world a safer place.
"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," Biden said in a statement, referring to Gorbachev's democratic reforms. "The result was a safer world and greater freedom for millions of people."
"Mikhail Gorbachev was a man of remarkable vision," Biden added.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed Gorbachev as a "trusted and respected leader" who "opened the way for a free Europe".
His "crucial role" in bringing down the Iron Curtain, which symbolised the division of the world into communist and capitalist blocs, and ending the Cold War left a legacy "we will not forget", she wrote on Twitter.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
In his tribute to the former Soviet leader, Scholz hailed Gorbachev's role in bringing about Germany's reunification.
"We won't forget that the perestroika had made it possible for Russia to be able to try to undertake the establishment of a democracy, that democracy and freedom were possible in Europe, that Germany could be unified, that the Iron Curtain disappeared," said Scholz in a statement.
"He died at a time when not only democracy in Russia has failed...but also when Russia and Russian President Putin have dug new graves in Europe and began a terrible war against a neighbour, Ukraine."
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he "always admired the courage and integrity" Gorbachev showed to bring the Cold War to a peaceful conclusion.
"In a time of Putin's aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all," he said in a Twitter post, referring to Moscow's offensive in its former Soviet neighbour.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Kishida noted Gorbachev's important role in the reduction of nuclear weapons held by the Soviet Union and United States, saying he had made “great achievements.”
“Mr. Gorbachev, who possessed great strategic vision and decisive execution, played a very important role,” he said.
Alexei Navalny
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny praised Gorbachev for "peacefully" departing from power.
"He stepped down peacefully and voluntarily, respecting the will of his constituents. This alone is a great feat by the standards of the former USSR," Navalny said on Twitter.
Navalny said that Gorbachev "remained one of the very few who did not use power and opportunities for personal gain and enrichment".
The Russian dissident also added that it was under Gorbachev's tenure that "the last political prisoners were released in the USSR".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
