On Wednesday 31 August, European leaders paid tribute to Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the USSR, who died at the age of 91 on the evening of 30 August.
The presidents of the European Council, Charles Michel, the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, all agreed that Gorbachev’s legacy would not be forgotten.
“Mikhail Gorbachev was a trusted and respected leader. He played a crucial role in ending the Cold War and bringing down the Iron Curtain. He paved the way for a free Europe”, stressed Mrs von der Leyen.
In Prague, the High Representative of the Union, Josep Borrell, stressed that Gorbachev had brought “a wind of freedom to Russian society”. “He tried to change the communist system from within - which became impossible. He began an era of cooperation with the West, ending the Cold War”, Borrell added.
In contrast, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis warned that “Lithuanians will not glorify Gorbachev”. “We will never forget the simple fact that his army murdered civilians to prolong his regime’s occupation of our country (...) This is how we will remember him”, he said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)