Mikhail Gorbachev: Mourned as rare world leader by many, some still bitter

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union who ended the Cold War, and the man who restored democracy to then-communist-ruled European nations, died Tuesday at 91. Reactions were mixed, with leaders in the West saluting him and many in his country blaming him for the 1991 implosion of the Soviet Union.

Below are reactions from some of the world leaders.

Rusian President Vladimir Putin


"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...

Kremlin

Gorbachev's hopes for a "romance" with the West were unjustified. "The honeymoon did not work out and the bloodthirstiness of our opponents showed itself. It's good that we realised this in time and understood it."

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 ... After decades of brutal political repression, he embraced democratic reforms.

"The result was a safer world and greater freedom for millions of people."

UN Secretay General Antonio Guterres

Gorbachev was "a one-of-a-kind statesman who changed the course of history. He did more than any other individual to bring about the peaceful end of the Cold War.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

"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."

French President Emmanuel Macron

"A man of peace whose choices opened up a path of liberty for Russians. His commitment to peace in Europe changed our shared history".

Italian PM Mario Draghi

"Mikhail Gorbachev ...put an end to the experience of the Soviet Union with courage and determination... His desire for peace and his opposition to an imperialist vision of Russia earned him the Nobel Prize. These messages are as relevant as ever in the face of the tragedy of the invasion of Ukraine."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

"Mikhail Gorbachev’s historic reforms led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, helped end the Cold War and opened the possibility of a partnership between Russia and NATO. His vision of a better world remains an example."

British PM Boris Johnson

"I always admired the courage and integrity he showed in bringing 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."

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis

"Lithuanians will not glorify Gorbachev. We will never forget ...that his army murdered civilians to prolong his regime's occupation of our country.