German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has praised the late Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev as a courageous reformer. The former Soviet head of state dared a lot and tried to establish a democracy, Scholz said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting at Castle Meseberg in Brandenburg. This attempt has now failed.
Gorbachev died at a time “when not only was democracy failing in Russia,” but when Russian President Vladimir Putin was also digging new fissures in Europe. “That’s why we think of Mikhail Gorbachev and know how important he was in recent years for the development of Europe and our country,” emphasized Scholz.
In recent years, Gorbachev has suffered as his dream has drifted further and further away. “Today the dream lies in ruins, shattered by Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine,” said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Merkel: “Peaceful revolution in GDR would not be possible”
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) praised the ex-Soviet head of state as “a unique world politician”. “May the memory of his historic achievement make it possible to pause, especially during these terrible weeks and months of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Merkel said in a statement published on her website on Wednesday.
It was with great sadness that she heard the news of Gorbachev’s death, the former chancellor continued. Gorbachev wrote world history. He illustrated how one statesman can change the world for the better,” she added. Without Gorbachev’s courage “in glasnost and perestroika, that is, in openness and restructuring, the peaceful revolution in the GDR would not have been possible”.
Kremlin: State funeral still under discussion
Gorbachev died on Tuesday evening at the age of 91 in the Russian capital. He had been the last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In 1991 he resigned as president of the Soviet Union. According to the Kremlin, it is not yet clear whether there will be a state funeral. “A decision is still being made,” government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. We also want to take into account the wishes of family and friends.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
