Mikhail Gorbachev death: 5 popular quotes of the former Soviet leader

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former President of the Soviet Union, died at age 91. State media reported Gorbachev’s death citing a statement from the Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow. Gorbachev died after a long illness, the statement read.

Alongside Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, Gorbachev was a key protagonist in a global drama that many thought impossible and, for those who lived through it, seemed almost surreal.

Also See: Mikhail Gorbachev’s life in pictures

Mikhail Gorbachev authored multiple books throughout his life. ‘Perestroika: New Thinking for Our Country and the World’ was one of the most popular books. “Perestroika”, which means restructuring, was also a campaign started by Gorbachev after taking office.

Here are some of the most popular quotes from the former Soviet Union President:

-“I believe in the cosmos. All of us are linked to the cosmos. So nature is my god. To me, nature is sacred. Trees are my temples and forests are my cathedrals. Being at one with nature.”

-“Americans have a severe disease — worse than AIDS. It’s called the winner’s complex.”

-“We had 10 years after the Cold War to build a new world order and yet we squandered them. The United States cannot tolerate anyone acting independently. Every US president has to have a war.”

-“Peace is not unity in similarity but unity in diversity, in the comparison and conciliation of differences.”

-“History teaches us, however, that when the times are ripe for change and the government refuses or is unable to change, either society starts to decay or a revolution begins.”

Also Read: The making of Mikhail Gorbachev: Complete timeline

Mikhail Gorbachev was one of the few Soviet leaders who developed cordial relations with western nations. He was also partially blamed for the 1991 implosion of the Soviet Union — a once-fearsome superpower whose territory fractured into 15 separate nations.