World leaders pay tribute to Mikhail Gorbachev as Boris Johnson salutes him

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Former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev was the subject of tributes from world leaders around the globe following his death yesterday (August 30) at the age of 91.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres led tributes towards the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize winner and said Gorbachev was "as a unique leader who changed the world for the better" as well as a "a one-of-a kind statesman who changed the course of history".

"He did more than any other individual to bring about the peaceful end of the Cold War," Guterres said.

READ MORE: Former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev dies aged 91

Despite Putin disagreeing with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, he expressed sympathies over Gorbachev's passing.

Putin was joined British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who paid tribute to Gorbachev as he tweeted: ''I'm saddened to hear of the death of Gorbachev. I always admired the courage & integrity he showed in bringing the Cold War to a peaceful conclusion.

"In a time of Putin's aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all."

As General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1985 until 1991, Gorbachev was praised for working with then-US President Ronald Reagan in ending the Cold War and enhancing freedom of speech for the Russian public and the press.

The current US President Joe Biden referenced the Cold War as he paid his respects to a man that is considered one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.

"When he came to power, the Cold War had gone on for nearly 40 years and communism for even longer, with devastating consequences. Few high-level Soviet officials had the courage to admit that things needed to change," Biden said.

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"As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I saw him do that and more. As leader of the USSR, he worked with President Reagan to reduce our two countries' nuclear arsenals, to the relief of people worldwide praying for an end to the nuclear arms race.

'We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends, and to people everywhere who benefited from his belief in a better world.'

French President Emmanuel Macron described Gorbachev as "a man of the world, whose choice opened the way to freedom for Russians".

He added: "His commitment to peace in Europe has changed our shared history."

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