Gorbachev's complicated legacy

The sharpest opinions on the debate from around the web

Bush, Reagan, and Gorbachev.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader credited with ending the Cold War and bringing about the collapse of the USSR, will be laid to rest on Saturday, after having died Tuesday at the age of 91. And though he's lauded in the West, public perception is a lot more complicated back home, where some (like Russian President Vladimir Putin) resent Gorbachev's trademark "glasnost" and "perestroika" reforms and their contribution to the demise of the Soviet empire.

Such a schism in mind, however, how might the last leader of the Soviet Union be remembered? What legacy does he leave behind? Leading publications tackle the question:

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Brigid Kennedy

Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.