‘His is a legacy we will not forget – a legacy that opened the way for freedom in Europe’

‘In private he was charming and surprisingly amusing. It wasn’t his fault that things went so wrong’

WORLD leaders and celebrities paid tribute to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for changing “the course of history” by ending the Cold War, following his death last night.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, expressed his “deep sympathies” over the death of the last Soviet leader, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said soon after the news of his passing.

“He will send a telegram of condolences to his family and friends,” Mr Peskov told Russian news agencies.

The two men were reported to mistrust each other. Mr Putin blamed Gorbachev for the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev considered Mr Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February a betrayal.

Boris Johnson said he was “saddened” by the news. The Prime Minister said: “In a time of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all.”

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said Gorbachev was “one of the great figures” of the last century who will “forever be remembered”.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said Gorbachev’s legacy is “one we will not forget”. She said: “It opened the way for a free Europe. This legacy is one we will not forget.” Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, said Gorbachev “did more than any other individual to bring about the peaceful end of the Cold War”.

Gorbachev was also mourned by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor and former California governor, who described him as “one of my heroes”.

“There’s an old saying, ‘Never meet your heroes’. I think that’s some of the worst advice I’ve ever heard,” he said.

“Mikhail Gorbachev was one of my heroes, and it was an honour and a joy to meet him. I was unbelievably lucky to call him a friend.”

John Simpson, the foreign news correspondent who has interviewed Gorbachev, described him as “a decent, well-intentioned, principled man”.

He said: “In private he was charming and surprisingly amusing. It wasn’t his fault that things went so wrong.”