Mikhail Gorbachev: What Putin Said As Statesman Who Brought Down Iron Curtain Died

Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid tribute to the final leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, who died on Tuesday evening, for his reform efforts and humanitarian work.

“Gorbachev was a politician and statesman who had a tremendous influence on the course of world history,” the Kremlin said on Wednesday in a statement.

According to the statement, Gorbachev led the country to a time of “dramatic change” and recognised the great need for reform at the time.

“I would like to particularly emphasise the great humanitarian, charitable and educational activity that Mikhail Sergeevitch Gorbachev carried out all these past years,” the statement read.

The Nobel Peace laureate himself had criticised Putin several times during his lifetime for the restrictions on freedom and democracy in Russia.