Mikhail Gorbachev, who ended the Cold War without bloodshed but failed to prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union, died on Tuesday at the age of 91, hospital officials in Moscow said.
Below are contrasting reactions from leaders and other high-profile figures outside and inside Russia:
“Mikhail Gorbachev had an immensely consequential impact on the world,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet on Wednesday.
“He helped bring an end to the Cold War, embraced reforms in the Soviet Union, and reduced the threat of nuclear weapons. He leaves behind an important legacy.”
“Gorbachev was a politician and statesman who had a huge impact on the course of world history. He led our country during a period of complex, dramatic changes and large-scale foreign policy, economic and social challenges…
“(He) strove to offer his solutions to urgent problems.”
In this file photo taken Wednesday, Aug. 1, 1991, U.S. President George H. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev exchange pens after signing the START arms reduction treaty in the Kremlin, Moscow.
Boris Yurchenko/AP file photo
“He increased the scope of freedom of the enslaved peoples of the Soviet Union in an unprecedented way, giving them hope for a more dignified life.”
“Lithuanians will not glorify Gorbachev. We will never forget …that his army murdered civilians to prolong his regime’s occupation of our country.
“His soldiers fired on our unarmed protestors and crushed them under his tanks. That is how we will remember him.”
“It fell to Gorbachev to lead the country in a very difficult period, to face many external and internal challenges, for which an adequate response was not found.”
Gorbachev “remained one of the very few who did not use power and opportunities for personal gain and enrichment.
“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.”
“Some write that he gave hope, others curse him for the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union would have collapsed anyway. And the role of Gorbachev in history in Russia will still be appreciated.”
It acknowledged that Gorbachev’s critics at home would seek to undo his legacy, adding: “But they won’t be able to. Mikhail Sergeyevich has done too much. He changed the world too irreversibly for his ideological opponents.”
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