Mikhail Gorbachev

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'Tear Down This Wall' Not So Confrontational

Reagan 'defeated' Soviets with diplomacy, not bravado

(Newser) - Prepare to see a lot of clips in the coming days of Ronald Reagan declaring, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” The 20th anniversary of the Berlin wall’s fall is days away, and in our collective memory, Reagan brought it down with sheer bravado. But that’s...

Russians Kasparov, Karpov Rekindle Chess Rivalry

Russian grand masters meet in Spain for series of matches

(Newser) - More than 25 years after their rivalry gave chess, and Russia, a much-needed jolt, former champions Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov will face off for a series of matches in Spain, beginning tomorrow, the Telegraph reports. The younger Kasparov took Karpov’s world title in 1985, and then seemed to...

Thatcher Urged Gorbachev to Block German Reunification

British leader warned Soviets that the change would endanger security

(Newser) - Margaret Thatcher called on Mikhail Gorbachev to halt German reunification months before the Berlin Wall came down, newly unearthed Kremlin documents reveal. Thatcher—telling the Soviet leader he should disregard NATO pronouncements on the issue—said the breakdown of the Warsaw Pact wasn't in the interests of the West, the...

Obama Meets Putin, Touts Democracy in Speech

(Newser) - Barack Obama began his second day in Russia by meeting with Vladimir Putin at the president-turned-prime minister's country home outside Moscow. The two leaders both expressed a desire for improved relations, and observers said they had a cordial discussion. The president then addressed a Moscow economics university, where he told...

US vs. Russia: Who's Won Summits Past?

(Newser) - As Barack Obama arrives in Moscow for his toughest diplomatic challenge since taking office, the Guardian looks back on earlier US-Russia showdowns to gauge who had the upper hand.
  • Kennedy vs. Khrushchev, 1961: The ultimate cold war summit, shadowed by the space race and the Berlin Wall. A draw, although
...

Gorbachev Ballads Album Fetches $160K at Auction

(Newser) - A CD of Mikhail Gorbachev singing traditional Russian ballads has sold for $164,940 at a charity auction in London, the Guardian reports. The sole copy is now in the hands of an “anonymous British philanthropist.” The benefit was held to raise money for a foundation, named after...

The US Needs Its Own Perestroika: Gorbachev
The US Needs Its Own Perestroika: Gorbachev
OPINION
Jun 7, 2009 9:13 AM CDT

The US Needs Its Own Perestroika: Gorbachev

Global financial crisis calls for economic restructuring

(Newser) - Mikhail Gorbachev has been saying for years that the US needed change, and for the first time, he writes in the Washington Post, people have been meeting him with applause rather than skepticism. America needs a perestroika—a restructuring—because, like Russia in the 1980s, it can no longer revert...

West 'Wasted 20 Years' After Berlin Wall Fell: Gorbachev

Former Soviet states should unite, he suggests

(Newser) - Europe has squandered two decades of potential cooperation since the Berlin Wall fell, Mikhail Gorbachev says. At a Moscow event sponsored by his foundation, the former Soviet leader criticized Western leaders who viewed the 1989 event as their victory over Eastern Europe, rather than an opportunity for common good, Reuters...

1988: Reagan, Right; Putin, Left
1988: Reagan, Right; Putin, Left 
Mar 16, 2009 2:34 PM CDT

1988: Reagan, Right; Putin, Left

(Newser) - It’s 1988. President Ronald Reagan is making a visit to the Soviet Union, where he tours Moscow’s Red Square alongside Mikhail Gorbachev. He stops and takes questions from a group of tourists about human rights in the United States. Except they’re not tourists, Radio Free Europe reports....

Gorbachev: Blame Georgia
 Gorbachev: Blame Georgia
OPINION
Aug 20, 2008 1:25 PM CDT

Gorbachev: Blame Georgia

Former Soviet leader blasts one-sided America coverage

(Newser) - It is important to remember that Georgia, not Russia, struck first in the conflict over South Ossetia, writes former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for the New York Times. Russian leadership is strong domestically and did not need a victory to rally support—rather, Moscow “was dragged into the fray...

Gorbachev: Peace Remains Possible
Gorbachev: Peace Remains Possible
OPINION
Aug 12, 2008 12:24 PM CDT

Gorbachev: Peace Remains Possible

Western powers must tread lightly in Georgia, ex-Soviet prez warns

(Newser) - The situation in Georgia dates to at least 1991, when the government slapped a lid on South Ossetia, setting off a "time bomb," Mikhail Gorbachev writes in the Washington Post. The ex-Soviet president outlines his vision for regional stability. "In addition to patience, this situation requires wisdom,...

Fashion, Politics Unlikely Mix
 Fashion, Politics Unlikely Mix 
GLOSSIES
Jul 8, 2008 2:57 PM CDT

Fashion, Politics Unlikely Mix

Carla Bruni's outfits something of an obsession, though there's a flip side

(Newser) - Move over, Hollywood—these days, fashion designers are dying to get their wares on a new kind of celebrity: politicians. The last time Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy visited London, Dior issued no fewer than five press releases on their outfits, and Louis Vuitton has even hired Mikhail Gorbachev as...

Leaders Press for Berlin Cold War Museum

Gorbachev backs effort to reacquaint tourists with conflict's history

(Newser) - Berlin would finally get a museum dedicated to the Cold War if a group of high-profile politicians get their way. Led by former Czech President Vaclav Havel, the group is urging Germany to build the structure at Checkpoint Charlie, the infamous crossing point that connected the city when it was...

Gorbachev Plays the Hard Rock
 Gorbachev Plays the Hard Rock 
Apr 16, 2008 6:27 PM CDT

Gorbachev Plays the Hard Rock

Former Soviet leader talks peace at Florida hotel casino

(Newser) - An unlikely entertainer is taking the stage tonight at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., the Miami Herald reports: former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev, 77, will speak on peace in a venue where country crooner Reba McEntire and guitar legend Carlos Santana are also booked this...

Gorbachev Admits He's Christian
Gorbachev Admits He's Christian
Mar 19, 2008 9:00 AM CDT

Gorbachev Admits He's Christian

Ex-Soviet prez publicly atheist, but Reagan sensed 'closet believer'

(Newser) - Nearly 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union's atheist empire, Mikhail Gorbachev has admitted he is a Christian, reports the Daily Telegraph. On a visit to Italy the last president of the Communist state prayed at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi, and later told priests the...

Gorbachev: Russia Needs Real Democracy

Medvedev, Putin need to change process, ex-Soviet leader writes

(Newser) - Mikhail Gorbachev is pushing Russia's leaders to change their ways. Writing today for the Times of London, Gorbachev praises Vladimir Putin’s accomplishments as president, and acknowledges the soon-to-be prime minister's popularity. But Russia still faces big problems, which “can only be solved in an environment of real democracy....

Gorbachev Goes Easy on Putin, for Now

Ex-leader defends prez, even as Kremlin rolls back democracy

(Newser) - Gorbachev remains pals with Putin, even as the Russian prez pares back reforms that Gorbachev holds dear, the Wall Street Journal reports. The former leader reserves his blame for the Kremlin, and spares Putin, calling him "a very normal person"—even after Moscow shut down Gorbachev's political party...

Boris Yeltsin Dies at 76
Boris Yeltsin Dies at 76
Apr 23, 2007 10:17 AM CDT

Boris Yeltsin Dies at 76

(Newser) - Boris Yeltsin, who orchestrated Russia's uneasy transition to democracy, died this morning, according to the Kremlin. He was 76. The cause hasn't been released, but Russia's first democratically elected leader had a history of heart problems. Yeltsin ascended to power after a struggle with reformer Mikhail Gorbachev, who finally ceded...

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