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Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev died on Tuesday at the age of 91, according to Russian news outlets.
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In July, a close friend told Forbes Russia that Gorbachev was “disturbed” by the state of affairs in Russia.
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The friend said Gorbachev felt “his life’s work” had been ruined.
One month before Death of Mikhail Gorbacheva close friend said the former Soviet president was upset by the current state of Russia and felt his “life’s work” was ruined.
Russian media reported that Gorbachev died on Tuesday at the age of 91. report Earlier this summer, he said he was suffering from severe kidney disease.
Gorbachev was the last president of the Soviet Union before its collapse. He helped end the Cold War and ushered in a new era of warmer relations between Moscow and the West.
About a month before his death, journalist Alexei Venidiktov, who was a close friend of Gorbachev, said: Forbes Russia Gorbachev was “disturbed” by the current state of Russia and felt that his “life’s work” had been ruined.
Venidiktov was interviewed about the shutdown of his radio station after President Vladimir Putin cracked down on the media in Russia after he invaded Ukraine.
Venidiktov pointed out that much of the work that Gorbachev did during his tenure to ease tensions with the West and give citizens more freedom has recently been reversed under Putin. Putin decided to invade Ukraine in February, threatening wider conflict in Eastern Europe and prompting widespread sanctions to fuel tensions with NATO. We are cracking down on differences. Censorship of the media and arrest of protesting citizens.
“Everything that Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev did was destroyed. All Gorbachev’s reforms went to zero, turned to ashes and smoked .. NATO rapid response forces in Europe when Gorbachev left There were 4,000 left at the time. Now NATO has announced that there will be 300,000 by the end of next year,” Benidiktov said.
“Of course you can say that Gorbachev is upset. Of course he understands. It was his life’s work. Freedom is Gorbachev’s work. Everyone gave freedom to the Russian Orthodox Church.” has already forgotten someone: Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev.Private property — Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev.So what is he going to say now?
Gorbachev said nothing publicly about his thoughts on the Ukraine war.
Over the years, he has publicly criticized and praised Putin. Washington PostThe Washington Post reported that Gorbachev praised Putin for helping strengthen Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but was concerned about Putin’s limits on press freedom.
Putin has yet to comment on Gorbachev’s death as of Monday afternoon.
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