Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who brought the Cold War to a peaceful end, has died aged 91.
Mr Gorbachev took power in 1985 and introduced reforms, as well as opening up the Soviet Union to the world.
But he was unable to prevent the slow collapse of the union, and many Russians blamed him for the years of turmoil that ensued.
Outside Russia, he was widely respected, with the UN chief saying he had “changed the course of history”.
“Mikhail Gorbachev was a one-of-a-kind statesman,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. “The world has lost a towering global leader, committed multilateralist, and tireless advocate for peace.”
The hospital in Moscow where he died said he had been suffering from a long and serious illness.
In recent years, his health had been in decline and he had been in and out of the hospital. In June, International media reported that he had been admitted after suffering from a kidney ailment, though his cause of death has not been announced.
He will be buried in Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery, the resting place of many prominent Russians. It is not clear whether he will receive a state funeral.
In his tribute, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he admired Mr Gorbachev’s courage and integrity, adding, “In a time of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all.”
US President, Joe Biden called him a “rare leader” and praised Mr Gorbachev as a unique politician who had the “imagination to see that a different future was possible” amid the tensions of the Cold War.
Bbc/Adebukola Aluko
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