Following the death of Mikhail Gorbachev on Tuesday, leaders from around the world are now expressing their grief.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres writes in a statement that Gorbachev was “a unique statesman who changed the course of history”.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is on the same line and writes on Twitter that Gorbachev paved the way for a free Europe.
Even Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is a known critic of Gorbachev, has, according to a spokesperson, “expressed his deepest participation”.