while he was the head of the soviet union. you know, there's no i would argue that the nuclear arm st signed with united states was a very positive thing. anything towards peace is a positive thing. but i would also argue that you can't have peace in the, you know, poor world. so i think that gorbachev would look positively upon a multi polar or anything that is more than a unipolar world. so i think, and i think, you know, generally much of the world is an agreement. i think that the bricks is something that people are very excited about, as you said. there's even countries like argentina that are now trying to join the rise of china and kind of china's economic influence in partnership with countries in africa is viewed as positively by people in africa. and i think gorbachev's, i would imagine would view international corporate cooperation not centered around one unipolar power as a good thing. now whether or not you know, the disillusion of the soviet union, aided or abetted the rise of the unicorn world that we see today,

he is credited of changing bodies today from the soviet union. as russian society, some say he was behind at the dissolution and ruin of the soviet union. so, in many having a positive view of mikhail gorbachev and ti mes. let's get the versa -- first of the international reactions and our washington correspondent. very good evening to you. when american perspective, what would one to think of them signing a treaty. we started the obituary we had of mikhail gorbachev. give us some sense of how the last leader of the soviet union is viewed in the usa? >> he is viewed as that partner help bring the end of the soviet union in a peaceful way. of course, the first american leader you think about when you mentioned the name mikhail gorbachev. is ronald reagan as he said. these two were absolute partners, especially in bringing about arms-control and those two leaders didn't trust each other if you look at the recounting of those years. they went on to build a trust and eventually become some type of a friends because they managed to develop respect for

ready soviet union, he oversaw the collapse of the soviet union. we know later he said that he had always intended to destroy communism. and he accomplished it. much to the chagrin of the soviet people, there was a referendum held throughout the soviet union earlier in 1991. and i think it was the spring of $991.00, which i think it was like 78 percent of the soviet citizens said they wanted to maintain the soviet union. notwithstanding that gorbachev. and of course, boris yeltsin oversaw the collapse of the soviet union. and a 2000000 people died as a result of the collapse. and that is why gorbachev now is one of the most unpopular leaders russia has ever had. when you look at poll after poll, he's one of the most unpopular leaders. but in the west, again, he's a darling because he brought you know, unfettered capitalism to russia and the former soviet republics, he allowed the former soviet union to be looted of assets and resources. so yeah, of course he's held as a, as a hero in the west, but where he comes from, he's largely seen is a villain

in the former soviet union, he failed those people. he did the bidding of the west, but he failed his own people. a slew of economic, social and political failures during perestroika lead to an attempted coup will take you back to august 1991 with the senior government and military officials trying to take control of the country away from gorbachev. now it failed in just 3 days, but precipitated the dissolution of the soviet union with future liter. boris yeltsin then poise to come to the for oh, good. the 19th 1991 on every tv channel in the country, a continuous loop of the ballet swan lake. meanwhile, in moscow, dramatic scenes were playing out a moment, vehicles rolling into the capitol. the presence of the usa seller is out of town and not a house arrest the holiday home in crimea will radio and t v announcements proclaimed mikhail gorbachev was no longer fit for duty. and the country was now under the control of an emergency committee. ah, cities is new as motionless. stoopa stay unused at all yet these bonia go to my children. w

of the soviet union. mr. gorbachev tried to deal with them. he tried to deal with them in the best way that he knew, taking into account the history at he had learned. but unfortunately for mr. gorbachev, the rest of the country and the rest of the party was not willing to go along with it. laura: do you know anything at all about mikael gorbachev's attitude towards vladimir putin's invasion of ukraine? >> he hasn't been very outspoken or talked about it. it will be very interesting to see how vladimir putin remembers mikal gorbachev. obviously, in the present campaign against ukraine, he's going against what gorbachev tried to do which was a peaceful transition from the soviet union to the russian federation. a peaceful transition to eastern europe. vladimir putin, with this invasion of ukraine, has en outspoken about how russia lost ukraine and he's trying to gain -- game russia back into the orbit of the russian federation. it will be interesting to see how mr. putin remembers mr. gorbachev and whether

the 20th century. knows posts $991.00 post the collapse of the soviet union. and gorbachev standing down. he took very much a back seat role in russian politics. that's with the exception of 96, where he did have a brief for re, again into politics. he did run for president, but he only received not point 5 percent of the votes. and since them he the focus mainly on economic sorry, educational and humanitarian projects, he is expected to be buried. most goes nowhere. devi cemetery next to his wife reiser and she passed in 99 of leukemia and he's known to have missed her very soul is so as and when i get more information on, on his death, on the ceremonies, etc, around i can bring it to you don't thank you. all right, thanks a lot our team peer scott given us the details on that. now back home, garbage have implemented a swath of domestic social, political, and economic reforms, including the complete democratization of soviet policies and a boost for the economy. of course, no discussion of soviet policies would be complete without mentioning glasnost and pere

she is the soviet union. as he is cat at the one she came to power, the soviet union was an aging. and pious, it's needed reforms. glasnost and perestroika was the instrument and instruments. he used to try and save the country, but especially here in the baltic states were as a people web brush, pushing for independence. and gorbachev created the atmosphere for independence to blossom in the baltics. and i think many people he appreciated. on the other hand, he did try and suppress protests in neighboring lithuania. for example, are 14 people were killed and hundreds people were injured. i lithuanians put up a strong resistance of that, that gorbachev hadn't had, i'll count it on. and of course, got a bunch of is a symbol over the soviet union, which also means the time of the soviet union. so your occupation as to this time is cold here. i thank you for your in europe, rosetta and maria to ukraine, where experts from the us nuclear watchdog are on their way to carry out long awaited inspections of the separation nuclear power plant that arrived in the city of zappa's asia and are

finally warming relations between the soviet union and west. i like mister gorbachev, we can do business together. she said so to ronald reagan, in that sense, she was influential and she played an important role in establishing the right atmosphere. remember that before gorbachev came in, there hadn't been a us. so time it was 16. it's an absolutely incredible thing. if you look at, it was a huge turnaround in the relationship and something that despite all the differences between arbitrary and subsequent leaders has not been undone. what about your flesh responsible for 8 major nuclear disarmament of breakthrough. following nearly 2 years of wrangling with n u. s. president reagan over the issue, he suddenly made a surprise announcement, said the soviet union was ready to sign the treaty without delay. so let's take you back. december 1987, the soviet union and america agreed to eliminate all of their land based intermediate range nuclear missiles. right there. that's the iconic photo of gorbachev. and then president reagan signing the docume

he was leader of the soviet union. normally we would expect there to be some type of state funeral for someone like mikhail gorbachev. is that something that you expect in a russia that is being led by vladimir putin? it is difficult to imagine a big or est funeral because he is very much disliked by, by the majority of russians. but you never know there was a when his or when, when, when boris yeltsin this excessive from gorbachev was president of russia. and the 1st president of russia died there was kind of a state funeral, but it was not a soul so big and huge. i would say, so we're going to expect something like that here. now, in this case, ah, we do not know how russian propaganda will try to use it, but we have to remember this war in ukraine. i've mentioned in the beginning of our conversation is actually about dismantling what gorbachev created. it's about turning back the clock and trying to restore the soviet union by force, something which are all expert work experts i've talked to and, and people i've tal

soviet union. and i wonder now, looking back, whether you feel that was a good thing or whether, like vladimir putin, you feel, well, as he says, that it was a catastrophic event, the most catastrophic event of the 20th century. yes. see, what followed you... what followed you were years of economic chaos and political chaos. vladimir putin's message to the russian people today is that the chaos that came after the soviet union was deeply damaging to the interests of the russian public and that he, vladimir putin, is going to restore a sense of pride, status and power to greater russia, and, to many people outside of russia, it sounds and feels like a return to the mentality of the soviet union. people in russia still say that today. there are politicians in russia today who want to put you on trial for treachery. they call you a traitor and they do believe that vladimir putin is going to restore russia's pride by, in essence, rebuilding a latter—day soviet empire. but to be clear... but to be cl

many russians held him responsible for the demise of the soviet union. but while his own country turned its back on him, gorbachev was hailed around the world as the man who helped her down the iron curtain and bring about a peaceful revolution. what eat wayne merry spent 26 years in the u. s. foreign service, including at the embassy in moscow at the end of the u. s. s. r. he spoke to me earlier about garbage hubs. legacy. i think at the moment, given what's going on in the war and ukraine, perhaps his greatest legacy is that he let the soviet union fail without spilling a lot of blood to try to preserve it. now he did accountant, some bloodshed in lithuania, some in georgia. but when it really came to the question of, are you willing to use massive tours to preserve the communist party, to preserve your own power and to preserve the soviet union? he would not do it. and i think that legacy today is something that should be recognized as there are great many powerful figures in the world who are willing to use force to hold on to their power and to hold

and they revoked the treaty which established the soviet union. and in those legal terms, that's how the soviet union collapsed. um and it can be seen as the product of everything that the co pitch of started. and that sort of came to a completely different resolution from, from the one that he expected. was he in control at the end? he really wasn't in control. i've just been reading through some of the remarks by some russian officials and. and then from some of the leaders in the, in the west. russia doesn't appear to, to, to, to have any problems talking about his, his warts and all legacy. the good, the great, and perhaps the not so great. do you think he made some mistakes to where we are today in terms of, of conflicts or is that just a rule and amassing over the years or did some things stem with mikhail gorbachev? well, i think maybe it wasn't so much mistake, but it was maybe a, a deficiency of michelle gorbachev's abilities and his character that i interviewed a lot of the young leaders at republic level after those republics became ind

the soviet union was more, less in clothing. and so the, the company's pocket meant in china for a larger gift on with that. and you know, the rest of the story is what we know today. china did not follow exactly what the u. s. r has done to reform political system and economy to china. it is gradually, manifest global shop had taught china what not to do in a year for a child. let's, let's do a bit of a comparison. if we can, we talk about to go to much office visit in the late eighty's to china. then let's talk about the difference now with putin at the helm of russia, gorbachev was essentially a man who gained celebrity status with his western professional partners. putin doesn't seem to have celebrity status now. however, how is the relationship between beijing and moscow different now to day than it was back in the times of gorbachev? no. as you have been seen in china relationship with for sure is or time high or almost in history. now, because although the 2 leaders who gina and accomplish of what they were being viewed q

you know, i defended the soviet union to the last bullet. that's what i did, but i failed now how did you tell me to bam, the party as a criminal organization? i can't agree with. you allow me to sign this degree. nobody is suspended in the communist party of russia, but he's a guy, a guy. but he's a guy so yell to thank you lou. well, at least i have the russian federation with could just declare independence from the soviet union for desert by f, who was a communist leader of the unit, which was cas extent was yeltsin. that said, well, i'm going to be the president of russia. 3 i be the president transit started. this gang luca shrink of leaves i'll grade, will do go over c bar. venture chords were signed in 1991 by the leaders of belarus, russia the formerly dissolved the soviet union and established the c i. s c plots. and because of the formulation of a community of independent states, i have decided to resign my duties as president of the soviet union. my principal's guide, my decision open on the trend to disintegration of the country

of the soviet union. mr. gorbachev tried to deal with them. he tried to deal with them in the best way that he knew, taking into account the history that he had learned. but unfortunately for mr. gorbachev, the rest of the country and the rest of the party was not willing to go along with it. laura: do you know anything at all about mikael gorbachev's attitude towards vladimir putin's invasion of ukraine? >> he hasn't been very outspoken or talked about it. it will be very interesting to see how vladimir putin remembers mikal gorbachev. obviously, in the present campaign against ukraine, he's going against what gorbachev tried to do which was a peaceful transition from the soviet union to the russian federation. a peaceful transition to eastern europe. vladimir putin, with this invasion of ukraine, has en outspoken about how russia lost ukraine and he's trying to gain -- game russia back into the orbit of the russian federation. it will be interesting to see how mr. putin remembers mr. gorbachev and wheth

of the soviet union with future leader boris yeltsin. then coming to the 4 good, the 19th, 1991 on every tv channel in the country, a continuous loop of the ballet swan lake. meanwhile, in moscow with dramatic scenes were playing out a moment. vehicles rolling into the cabin the presence of the usa seller is out of town and not a house arrest. the holiday home in crimea will radio and t v announcements proclaimed mikhail gorbachev was no longer fit for duty. and the country was now under the control of an emergency committee. ah, citizen was motionless. stoopa stay unused at all. yeah. the phone, you got a bunch of them if you wanted to gauge him. so i doesn't list the president. this is a say. these anesthesia, the volume shuttle playoff missing him at his teaching is up on misty, but at least teaches a chain, a pleasure, any of us didn't. if me, if we're supposed to set natal, tracy nick, it's have independent media shut down. people across the soviet union left struggling to understand what exactly is happening. well, most device were

and you know, the soviet union collapsed. and because of that, when people really began to live extremely hard lives, the economy fell apart, there was no structure left anymore to the economy or even societally, people began to blame him. and to this day, many russians revile him. so to me, he is the person who absolutely changed history with his own personality, to have that vision that somehow things could change. and it didn't work out the way he wanted it to, but he certainly will go down in history as a person who really reformed and brought russia out of the darkness, into what eventually became some type of democracy. we know the problems that exist right now, but gorbachev certainly, i would hope that russians eventually, many years from now, will remember him as a person who actually improved russia and saved russia from itself at many moments. >> certainly someone who improved the world. jill, stand by for me, please. i want to bring in cnn's fred pleitgen in moscow. fred, what is the reaction in russia to the news

the soviet union was under gorbachev. and it resembled to some extent what life was like under the breaking the breaking up period. the only difference is that russians can still with difficulty leave russia. he really has a dismantle most of that. and primarily is how bent on subjugating ukraine on, reabsorbed in ukraine into rush or into some kind of a slavic federation. so he is deliberately progressing, in essence, the collapse of the soviet union. he said that the collapse of the soviet union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe. and he's determined to reverse that, whether he can do it, i don't know, but it's certainly the direct opposite of everything that gorbachev set in motion. and mr. tell me, do you see? then the invasion of ukraine is this vladimir putin's remedy to the disaster that occurred during gorbachev swatch. well, putin, obviously think, so i don't think so myself because it's hard to characterize a blood bath with all kinds of horrendous consequences as a, as a remedy. a. but he said this is pu

is it led to the collapse of the soviet union in 1990? 1 general looks back on his life. mikhail gorbachev left office in 1991 recent survivor of an attempted hard line communist qu, but the victim nonetheless, of unstoppable change. the vast soviet empire had suddenly ceased to exist. gorbachev left behind a moscow reduced in stature, the capital now of a newly independent russia. of course, he was very, very disciplined in man because he was at his house. he had not only by the russian state or soviet state, but by the russians. i mean, he used to not for a popular he'll be remembered more warmly abroad than at home. go b as he came to be known, one the confidence of world leaders by dismantling the structures of the cold war. he played a crucial role in the reunification of germany. joining east with west as the berlin wall fell last last and perestroika formed the new, more attractive face of an old foe. he became secretary general at the time when the soviet economy was beginning to collapse. he realized that he had to make a very se

the soviet union was under gorbachev. and it resembles to some extent what life was like under the breaking the breaking up period. the only difference is that russians can still, with great difficulty, leave russia. he really has a dismantled most of that, and primarily is how bent on subjugating ukraine on reabsorbed ukraine into rush, aaron, to some kind of slavic federation. so he is deliberately progressing, in essence, the collapse of the soviet union. he said that the collapse of the soviet union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe. and he's determined to reverse that, whether he can do it, i don't know, but it sent me the direct opposite of everything that gorbachev set in motion. and mister, tell me, do you see? then the invention of ukraine is this vladimir putin's remedy to the disaster that occurred during gorbachev swatch. well, putin obviously think, so i don't think so myself because it's hard to characterize a blood bath with all kinds of horrendous consequences as a, as a remedy. a but he said this

he agreed to withdraw soviet troops back to the soviet union, again, a something that was viewed as nothing short of a wonder at that time. i remember reporting on it in one of my very 1st reports as a young t v journalist, restraint and political reality were 2 characteristics that he emphasized in a historic speech to the european council. in the fateful summer of 1989. when he talked about a europe whole and free, and a common european house, something that we still though terms we still use to day. but the fact is that that house has been badly, badly shaken by the events now since february. absolutely. now in his tribute took over trav chance las charlotte spoke about the war in ukraine. what was gorbachev the attitude to the war that's happening right now? well, he had been promised by the u. s. secretary of state james baker. as the negotiations about german unification were taking place that nato would not that i quote, come one inch closer to russian soil. and he was frustrated and angry that that pledge was not fulfilled. he often worried about a potential war between russia and t

the final leader of the soviet union, mikhail gorbachev. has died 891 in moscow, central hospital offer a prolonged illness. many top politicians from around the world have already expressed that condolences over his death. and now for a moment, let's take a quick look through gorbachev. legacy in our special coverage chair. we're not into nash. ah yeah, just a short time ago, i spoke with ortiz peter scott, who has been following the wells reaction to go which offset. unsurprisingly, there's been an absolutely huge outpouring of condolences for the former soviet leader, mikhail gorbachev. i mean stuffing arrow, we have putin who expressed his deepest condolences on the some point later today. he is expected to get in touch with gorbachev's friends and relatives and express those condolences to him. un secretary general antonio good terrorist described him as a one of a kind states new change the course of history. the u. k. p. m, admired gorbachev's, courage and integrity, your opinion and presence of underlying praised him the trusted unr

it collapsed — but soon after, so did the soviet union. president gorbachev resigned and the ussr was consigned to history. many russians still blame gorbachev for letting a superpower slip away. some of what he changed didn't last — the arms race and geopolitical tension are back. gorbachev will be remembered for at least having tried to end the rivalry between east and west. but i will remember him for this. after one interview, he invited me to play his piano while he sang the favourite songs of his late wife. it was a surreal but special moment that showed the warm, human side of the russian leader who'd struck a chord with millions around the world. mikhail gorbachev who has died at the age of 91. that is thatis that is a wonderful piece that stephen rosenberg has written up stephen rosenberg has written up about that interview. have a look at it on the bbc website. i'll be speaking to an author on russian politics and granddaughter of nikita khrushcev, who led the former soviet union at the height of the cold war later in this bull

we're learning of the death of the last leader of the soviet union, mikhail gorbachev. we'll look at his life and his legacy next. age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grs in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for mune support. boost® high protein. every moment in life is a bet. like betting on these discount snacks. but life doesn't offer you $150 in free bets when you bet just $5. so when it comes to the nfl. bet on fanduel... and make every moment more. >>> we're following breaking news. mikhail gorbachev, the last president of the soviet union, has died in moscow at the age of 91. cnn's phil black looks at his remarkable role in the history of his country and the world. >> as vladimir putin delivered his third presidential inauguration speech in may 200012, one of his predecessors was seen briefly making a few comments of his own. we don't know what mikhail gorbachev said, but it's unlikely they were kind words about mr. putin. after 12 years under put

to look so common ground with what i did was defend the soviet union to the last bullets. but i failed breaking news here went off the international, the fine old leader of the soviet union. mikhail gorbachev cause died age 91 in moscow. central hospital after a long illness aronoff, he will be looking back to his historic legacy and off special coverage in just a few months. also in the program of the idea of a 2nd civil war and america does not seem to call fetched with over 40 percent of americans now saying they could see that happening within a decade. it's all according to a new poll, a and the latest numbers for you here. when i change national, we understand that these 30 people have been killed and over 700 wounded in pastors in baghdad. it's following to with time and from politics of a leading shia cleric who stood firm for many years against us influence in iraq with it is so good to have you with us today here want to r t international. we've got your top stories right now and we continue with our special coverage and its breaking news, her naughty internation

the last 8 of the soviet union has died at the age of 91. which of presided over the end of the cold war and the lifting of eastern europe. i am cotton but failed to prevent the collapse of the ussr inspection general appealing for 160000000 dollars and emergency aid to help more than 33000000 people in pakistan affected by massive floods until you good terrorist says he will visit next week and to watch prime minister says he'll quit if the political crisis and his country continues stuff. alchemy address the nation of supports of powerful she'll need and will, tulsa withdrew from baghdad. green so the solomon islands has temporarily band u. s. navy ships from entering as ports as vision comes off the pacific island nation signed a security agreement with china. in april. western governments are concerned the solomon islands could provide china with a military foothold in the region. the moratorium will apply to all navy ships. cynthia watson is an independent asia pacific unless and she says the relationship between the u. s. and china may

it collapsed — but soon after, so did the soviet union. president gorbachev resigned and the ussr was consigned to history. many russians still blame gorbachev for letting a superpower slip away. some of what he changed didn't last — the arms race and geopolitical tension are back. gorbachev will be remembered for at least having tried to end the rivalry between east and west. but i will remember him for this. after one interview, he invited me to play his piano while he sang the favourite songs of his late wife. it was a surreal but special moment that showed the warm, human side of the russian leader who'd struck a chord with millions around the world. mikhail gorbachev, who has died at the age of 91. i asked our russia editor steve rosenberg what people in the country will remember about the former leader. well, many russians blame mikhail gorbachev for the collapse of the soviet union. many see him as having been a weak leader, someone who couldn't keep control of the reforms he started that spun out of control and lead to the disint

many russians held him responsible for the demise of the soviet union. but while his own country turned its back on him, gorbachev was hailed around the world as the man to help tear down the iron curtain and bring about a peaceful revolution. and have been tributes from leaders around the world for the former soviet leader and russia. a spokesman for vladimir putin said the president expressed his deepest condolences to gorbachev's family, un chief antonio quoterush said he was deeply saddened by gorbachev's passing and described him as a one of a kind statesman who changed the course of history. european commission president was a hunter line. meanwhile, said gorb, which has crucial role in bringing down the iron curtain, opened the way for a free europe. and the foundation of former u. s. president ronald reagan tweeted this. gorbachev was a man who was once a political adversary, but who ended up becoming a friends o. e. wayne mary spent 26 years in the u. s. foreign service, including at the embassy in moscow at the end of the u. s. s. r. he spoke t

the fact is the collapse of the soviet union was the collapse of the soviet union was the second — the collapse of the soviet union was the second book end to the backend that began with the russian revolution in 1917. and it was coming, _ revolution in 1917. and it was coming, it— revolution in 1917. and it was coming, it was inevitable. we'd seen the strains _ coming, it was inevitable. we'd seen the strains leading up to it and i think— the strains leading up to it and i think he — the strains leading up to it and i think he thought in particular, in respect — think he thought in particular, in respect of— think he thought in particular, in respect of the collapse of the east german— respect of the collapse of the east german regime, he understood what reunification, the desire to be one peopie _ reunification, the desire to be one people again meant to the people of germany— people again meant to the people of germany and there are some things in life, germany and there are some things in life. in— germany and there are some things in life, in politics, that you can

he became the head of the soviet union. the reason he was brought in was that the leaders who preceded him kept dying one after the other, they were very elderly and an effective. and here was someone who was articulate and energetic, who was going to save the system and find ways of reforming it without allowing for its disintegration. that was a contradiction he could not resolve. >> thank you very much indeed, for talking to us, professor. thank you. >> thank you for having me on. >> ukraine's military says it has destroyed key russian positions, weapons and warehouses, as it tries to take back the occupied southern region. bordering the black city, it was seized by russia at the start of the invasion six months ago. president zelenskyy says troops are pressing on with the counteroffensive. he has urged russian soldiers to flee for their lives. moscow says it has repelled attacks and inflicted heavy losses on ukrainian troops. ukrainian president zelenskyy has held talks with members of the international platonic energy

so that was very result of the weakness or central following the soviet union. and then these was continue a sort of hired us, which is itself when again $949096.00. that was we start up for a different reason because natal started to expand and we've had this 1st i would say a war call if i need to expand from the georgia what already in 2008. and it was also a result of the dissolution of the soviet union that was doesn't want to admit that . so what we're chose, legacy on that is, is very nice. you know, he or she is referrals were human, but they also started a lot of it's in good in that see what was in the former soviet union. so he had legacy was mixed and will remain. the historians will argue about it and simple people in the former soviet union will argue about it. would you was, i understand you met him personally and didn't interview with gorbachev. that's correct. what. what kind of impression did you get from him as a person? and what did you discuss in the interview? well, he was a very charming person. when he talked to you, you felt like you mea

while admitting that the soviet union lags behind the west in providing consumer goods, its propaganda machine explains this by saying that russia had been a backward country at the time of the revolution and that progress toward the socialist idea had been halted by world war two. in no way does the regime blame its problems on deficiencies in the at the same time propaganda plays on the high priority many soviet citizens place on personal security by claiming that the distribution of income education and health benefits are more equitable than in capitalist countries. to underscore this claim the regime points to the lack of job security and the existence of unemployment in western market economies. the propaganda machine also exploits crime statistics from western countries and makes it appear that the us in particular is a lawless society where the individual's physical security is constantly at risk. the soviet media go to great lengths to portray the leadership as thoroughly committed to the welfare of the common man. shortcomings in the supply of consumer goods are attributed to

many russians held him responsible for the demise of the soviet union. but while his own country turned its back on him, gorbachev was hailed around the world as the man who helped tear down the iron curtain and bring about a peaceful revolution. judge as all so it has just comment, had done the passing of the last soviet leader, mechanical which off his what he had to say we have isn't and that's how your stall we know that he died at that time when not only democracy has failed in russia, you cannot describe the current situation there in any other way about me. but as russia and russian president, putin has created fresh divisions in europe, etc, and begun a terrible war against its neighbour ukraine. and because of that, we are thinking of mikhail gorbachev isn't. and know how important he has been for the development of europe and our country as well in recent years, young at other tributes have been pouring in from leaders around the world. in russia are a spokesman for vladimir putin said. the president expressed his deepest condolences to go whic

many russians held him responsible for the demise of the soviet union. but while his own country turned its back on him, gorbachev was hailed around the world as the man who helped tear down the iron curtain and bring about a peaceful revolution. a ban is coming in from leaders from around the world. in russia, spokesman for vladimir putin said the president expressed his deepest condolences to gorbachev family. he went chief antonio who taro said he was deeply saddened by gorbachev's passing. described him as a one of a kind statesman who changed the course of history. european commission, president of lafond alliance, said gorbachev's crucial role in bringing down the iron curtain opened the way for a free europe and the foundation of their new ways. president ronald reagan tweeted, the gorbachev was a man who was once a political adversary, but who ended up becoming a friend of all the moscow bureau chief fury. rashid, or joins us from reger. our political correspondent, thomas sparrow, is here in berlin. tours for germans. gorbachev is revered for hi

soviet union and the west. i like mister gorbachev, we can do business together. she said so to rather reagan in that sense, she was influential and she played an important role in establishing the right atmosphere. remember that before the trip came in, there hadn't been a us soviet some, it was 6 years. it's an absolutely incredible thing. if you look at it, it was a huge turnaround in the relationship and something that despite all the differences between gilbert job and subsequent leaders has not been undone, corbett chef was responsible for a major nuclear disarmament breakthrough. following 2 years of wrangling with the us president ronald reagan at the time over the issue, he made a surprise announcement and said that the soviet union was ready to sign the treaty without delay. in december 1987, the ussr in the u. s. signed a deal to eliminate intermediate range nuclear forces. here you can see the iconic picture of corbett. chevy reagan, when they agreed to destroy their missiles, stop producing them an

it collapsed — but soon after, so did the soviet union. president gorbachev resigned and the ussr was consigned to history. many russians still blame gorbachev for letting a superpower slip away. many of the changes mikal gorbachev tried to make haven't lasted. democratic freedoms have been rolled back in russia and the arms race is back, and geopolitical confrontation. gorbachev will be remembered for at least having tried to end the rivalry between east and west. but i will remember him for this. after one interview, he invited me to play his piano while he sang the favourite songs of his late wife. it was a surreal but special moment that showed the warm, human side of the russian leader who'd struck a chord with millions around the world. mikhail gorbachev, who has died at the age of 91. in the last few hours, world leaders have been paying their respects to mr gorbachev. us presidentjoe biden said mr gorbachev was a man of remarkable vision and had the courage to risk his entire career to achieve a different future. borisjohnson, uk p

many russians held him responsible for the demise of the soviet union. but while his own country turned its back on him, gorbachev was hailed around the world. is the man who helped tear down the iron curtain and bring about a peaceful revolution. there have been tributes from leaders around the world. in russia, a spokesman for vladimir putin said the president expressed his deepest condolences to go which offs family un chief antonio quoterush said he was deeply saddened by gorbachev's passing and described him as a one of a kind statesman who changed the course of history. european commission president also lafond alliance said gorbachev's crucial role in bringing down the iron curtain opened the way for a free europe. and the foundation of then you west president ronald reagan tweeted this. gorbachev was a man who was once a political adversary, but who ended up becoming a friend. the w's russian affairs analyst, constantine aga, joins us from vilios lithuania, constantine, you met him many times over the years. how was gorbachev regarded in russia i

as a result of his collapse of the soviet union, collapse of the soviet union, collapse of the economy, technology, collapse of the economy, technology, collapse of the economy, technology, collapse of science, collapse of culture, security. criminals took power in the country and in ukraine. and other small cities. that's why most of the people here in russia hate him, but they hate him not only because he did it, but also because they are also responsible for the collapse of the great country,... there is contradiction and the soles of my people and also contradiction in my saw about gorbachev. i'm also very much not so much political, but so respect that he was so in love with his wife not on the date... but after she left, until the last days, gorbachev loved his wife. very much. that is very striking observation in which to end. thank you so much for your time, which to end. thank you so much for yourtime, interesting which to end. thank you so much for your time, interesting to hear your thoughts on the contradictions that you laid out clearly there. thank you laid out clearly th

he also sought the approval of the soviet union. and as a very memorable meeting in february of 1990 when he visited moscow. and he said that gorbachev was basically in favor of german reunification. and this clearly explains why gorbachev's until to day remains an incredibly important figure. not only for the fall of the berlin wall, but also for german reunification. and that's something that, by the way, you see most of the statements that have come out to day responding to mister gorbachev's death. he w as thomas ferry. thank you so much. is around the world have been paying tribute to mikhail gorbachev. let's take a listen to some of their reactions did. could they thought in more school that i remember very well this is taught these days? well, let me highlight which of send we into freedom of russian society. he tried to change the come with the system from insight gerber. with mister gorbachev made positive contributions to the normalization of china. soviet relation, stuart, who did you get cargo highs? it's neat sandals. w

soviet union and the west. i like mister gorbachev, we can do business together. she said so to ronald reagan, in that sense, she was influential and she played an important role in establishing the right atmosphere. remember that before go mature of came in, there hadn't been a us soviet some, it was 6 years. it's an absolutely incredible thing. if you look at it, it was a huge turnaround in the relationship and something that despite all the differences between gilbert children, subsequent leaders has not been undone. gorbachev was responsible for a major nuclear disarmament breakthrough. following nearly 2 years of wrangling with us president ronald reagan over the issue, he made a surprise announcement. he said that the soviet union was ready to sign the treaty without delay. december 1987 in the u. s. s. r, and the u. s. signed the deal to eliminate intermediate range nuclear forces. inside right here is the iconic picture of globe, which often reagan when they agree to destroy them. as isles, stop product

when the soviet union collapsed, the soviet empire fell apart. it wasn't entirely his fault. it certainly wasn't his intention. but if you look even beyond the west, beyond what we call the united states nato, at that time to the, the new countries that were fried a poland check republic hungry, east germany. these were allowed to go their own way under gorbachev to dissolve that decades long soviet had germany without firing a shot. there was no violence with the notable exception of in romania where there was sort of internet seen fighting in 1989. but unlike his predecessors, sending the tags into budapest, the tanks into prague and so on. gorbachev allowed this process to happen peacefully. and for the, for that, i think a lot of people in eastern and central europe consider him to be a great man for the moment. thanks very much, rob reynolds, our correspondent in los angeles. so let's take a closer look at me call go shop legacy. he drove through reforms aimed at reviving the soviet union's economy. 980 s was a thomas of a economic hardship, the countries in the communis

it collapsed — but soon after, so did the soviet union. president gorbachev resigned and the ussr was consigned to history. many russians still blame gorbachev for letting a superpower slip away. some of what he changed didn't last — the arms race and geopolitical tension are back. gorbachev will be remembered for at least having tried to end the rivalry between east and west. but i will remember him for this. after one interview, he invited me to play his piano while he sang the favourite songs of his late wife. it was a surreal but special moment that showed the warm, human side of the russian leader who'd struck a chord with millions around the world. mikhail gorbachev, who has died at the age of 91. i asked our russia editor, steve rosenberg, what people in the country will remember about the former leader. well, many russians blame mikhail gorbachev for the collapse of the soviet union. many see him as having been a weak leader, someone who couldn't keep control of the reforms he started that spun out of control and led to the disin

many russians held him responsible for the demise of the soviet union. but while his own country turned its back on him, gorbachev was hailed around the world as the man who helped tear down the iron curtain and bring about a peaceful revolution. or a wayne marry, spent 26 years in the u. s. foreign service, including at the embassy in moscow at the end of the u. s. s. r. he spoke to me earlier about corbett jobs legacy. i think at the moment, given was going on in the war in ukraine. perhaps his greatest legacy is that he let the soviet union fail without spilling a lot of blood to try to preserve it. now he did accountant, some bloodshed in lithuania, some in georgia. but when it really came to the question of, are you willing to use massive tours to preserve the communist party, to preserve your own power and to preserve the soviet union? he would not do it. and i think that legacy today is something that should be recognized as there are great many powerful figures in the world who are willing to use force to hold on to their power and to hold on to

, within the soviet union. he always god, that the collapse of the soviet union was a geopolitical catastrophe. share that with the latter mirror. couldn't any was oddly enough bored. yelton really had the democratic ideas. who said that if you want to have freedom with the russian people, you cannot deny the latvians estonians and lithuanian you cannot deny to the ukrainians. gorbachev was pretty harsh on the gradients. for example, he was recently tell me about that. do you think he made the world a safer place or more, more dangerous place? he made his evil place, but not by deliberate design. he made a safer place because he tried to have an external accommodation when he tried to save the system internally after he was released from captivity by the hard liners he came back among his 1st words on the tarmac and mosque was that he wanted to give the communist body, the kiss of life, the communist party by that point, was basically dead. so he never understood his own system. but he refrained from using mass

the soviet union was formerly voted out of existence. many regret the loss, still, the end of empire of superpower status. and they blame gorbachev for it. he was the one who presided over the collapse of the soviet union. he's not appreciated by his own countrymen. he is despised by many forgotten by i think a lot more today. maury, though the young, are at least kind of and build the people because they feel that he gave them freedom. what he'd given them was democracy and advance that gorbachev lived to see slipping backwards with allegedly rigged elections during vladimir putin leadership . hundreds of thousands of russians joined a nationwide street protest movement, and the old soviet leader wasn't afraid to speak out. again, he made a nice new year. you can compare this selection with those of 198919191 those 2 occasions. the voting really was fair and democratic, but every election since then has been flawed. tens of thousands of russians across the country have demonstrated for free and fair elections and the process of democrat

many russians held him responsible for the demise of the soviet union. but while his own country turned its back on him, gorbachev was hailed around the world as the man who helped tear down the iron curtain and bring about a peaceful revolution. i'd like to welcome e wayne mary senior fellow for europe and eurasia at the american foreign policy council. think tank in washington, d. c. h is been 26 years in the u. s. foreign service, including at the embassy in moscow. at the end of the ussr, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us because gorbachev was the last leader of the soviet union. and we've just heard some of what made him a towering figure of the 20th century. what do you think his legacy will be? i think at the moment, given what's going on in the war in ukraine, perhaps his greatest legacy is that he let the soviet union fail without spilling a lot of blood to try to preserve it. now he did accountant, some bloodshed in lithuania, some georgia when it really came to the question of, are you willing to use massive tours to prese

the last leader of the soviet union. he helped in the cold war by forging better ties with the west. germany's chance o shoulds today said that gorbachev had been a courageous reformer who dared to do many things. russian president vladimir putin today held him as an extraordinary global statesman. but the kremlin said gorbachev had been badly wrong about the prospect of a friendly relationship with the i'm quoting here, the blood thirsty west note of that is given a mikhail gorbachev. first speech as leader of the soviet union. it was clear, he was a stark contrast to his predecessors. we thought he was though, all right, i live in peace and freedom is the most important basic right of each individual for our killer yet. gorbachev wanted to change the soviet union to bring it closer to the people. he promoted glass, nest openness, and perestroika reforms to words that will forever be associated with him. his new outlook was popular with many his policies also applied to the military, despite the resistance of soviet gen

he also sought the approval of the soviet union. and as a very memorable meeting in february of 1990 when he visited moscow. and he said that gorbachev was basically in favor of german reunification. and this clearly explains why gorbachev's until to day remains an incredibly important figure. not only for the fall of the berlin wall, but also for german reunification. and that's something that, by the way, you see most of the statements that have come out to day responding to mr. gorbachev's death. he w as thomas ferry. thank you so much. that while in the west, gorbachev is often described as a unique elder statesman who changed the course of history for the better in russia . some blame him for the demise of the soviet union and even view him as a traitor. as day broke in moscow. so to did the news of mikhail gorbachev, death russia's news channels reported that president vladimir putin had expressed his deepest condolences. but musk invites themselves were not united in mourning. their former leader on weight was kaiser with i h

it collapsed — but soon after, so did the soviet union. president gorbachev resigned and the ussr was consigned to history. many russians still blame gorbachev for letting a superpower slip away. some of what he changed didn't last — the arms race and geopolitical tension are back. gorbachev will be remembered for at least having tried to end the rivalry between east and west. but i will remember him for this. after one interview, he invited me to play his piano while he sang the favourite songs of his late wife. it was a surreal but special moment that showed the warm, human side of the russian leader who'd struck a chord with millions around the world. mikhail gorbachev, who's died at the age of 91. in the last few hours, world leaders have been paying their respects to mr gorbachev. french president emmanuel macron described him as a man of peace whose choices opened a path to freedom for russians. saying his commitment to peace in europe changed our common history. borisjohnson, uk prime minister, said he "always admired the courage

the final leader of the soviet union, col. gorbachev has died at 891 in moscow, central hospital authorized. we had to stand up for long business here and our team will be looking back through his historic legacy in our special coverage in just a few months. at least 30 people are reportedly killed and over 700 wounded in cash was in bagdad sold, following their retirement from politics of a leading shia cleric who stood for years and firmly opposed to us in fluids in that country. and the idea of a 2nd, the civil war of the us does not seem that far fetched with 40 percent of americans saying they could see that happening within a decade. that's according to a new pope with us here for ortiz international latest program live from moscow. at 7 o'clock in the morning, it is breaking news for you this hour here. the final leader of the soviet union mikhail gorbachev has died aged 91 in moscow, central hospital after a long illness. many took politicians around the world have already expressed their condolences over his death. so for a moment here on the program, let's take a quick look throug