topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.44 0.28
DAX 6339.94 0.38
IBEX 30 6543 0.13
CAC 40 3047.94 0.32
FTSE 100 5351.53 0.03
AEX 292.76 0.23
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13154.8 0.36
TSX Composite 11576.47 0.09
ASX 4081.2 -0.61
Hang seng 18713.41 0.25
Straits Times 2772.75 -0.24
ISEQ 20 500.94 1.55
You are here: Home News Community News Gorbachev 'proud' of role in fall of Berlin Wall

Community News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


04/11/2009Gorbachev 'proud' of role in fall of Berlin Wall

The former Soviet leader is widely admired in the West but often criticised in Russia for policies that led to economic chaos and the dismantling of Moscow's sprawling empire.

Moscow -- Mikhail Gorbachev said Tuesday that he was proud of his role in the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago, defending himself against Russian critics who accuse him of losing the Soviet empire.

"I am proud that we -- and by that I mean both Western and Eastern European countries -- found an approach that took everyone's interests into account, so this most painful thing was liquidated," Gorbachev said.

Gorbachev indicated that leaders had no choice other than ending the division of Germany into Communist East and NATO-aligned West.

"The issue is not shame but the fact there was a split in a country in the centre of Europe, the centre of the world, with a huge population," he told reporters in Moscow.

Gorbachev, 78, is widely admired in the West but often criticised in Russia for policies that led to economic chaos and the dismantling of Moscow's sprawling empire.

He has been praised for his decision not to use force to stop the mounting resistance to Communist regimes in eastern Europe in the late 1980s, which culminated in the dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989.

The fall of the barrier, where many East Germans had been killed trying to flee to the West, paved the way for Germany's reunification in 1990.

"If the Soviet Union had wanted, it could have stopped reunification. And what would have happened then? I don't know. Maybe World War III," Gorbachev mused in a free-wheeling talk with a group of reporters.

Gorbachev also criticised the behaviour of the United States, which he said had suffered from a "victor's complex" in the years after the Cold War, overextending its power throughout Europe and the world.

"The Americans should understand that their monopoly has ended," Gorbachev said earlier, speaking at the presentation of a book by US billionaire and former media mogul Ted Turner at his foundation in Moscow.

"But that America is going to be a leader for a long time, that it is going to be very influential -- this is a fact, whether you like it or not."

Gorbachev praised US President Barack Obama, who has sought to improve the United States' image in the world and repair US-Russian relations that were damaged under his predecessor George W. Bush.

Comparing Obama's efforts with his own attempt to reform the Soviet Union in the 1980s, which was called "perestroika," or "restructuring," Gorbachev said that Obama faced the harder task.

"I do not envy Obama, because I think changing and 'restructuring' America is not easier than changing the Soviet Union," Gorbachev said. "I wish the Americans luck. I think the president's steps need the support of the American people."

Alexander Osipovich/AFP/Expatica


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Australians in Germany

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Irish in Germany

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Canadian in Germany

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Discuss German Culture

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Americans in Germany

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
The ABCs of the German school system

The ABCs of the German school system

What you need to know about German schools and daycare.

German immigration and residency regulations

German immigration and residency regulations

Want to move to Germany but haven’t figured out the details? Check out Expatica’s overview of the German permit system.

Driving in Berlin: Rules, habits and fines

Driving in Berlin: Rules, habits and fines

In part one of our two part series, we cover the driving culture in Berlin, where to park and buy gas and, most importantly, the laws.

Looking for work in Germany: The in depth version

Looking for work in Germany: The in depth version

Our comprehensive guide includes information on how to find work, recruitment agencies, employment contracts and labour law.