Tensions between the United States and Russia have brought the world to the brink of a new cold war, warned former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev. “Some are even saying that it’s already begun,” he said, speaking at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The former leader who played a key role in ending Communism in Eastern Europe said the West, and particularly the United States, had “succumbed to triumphalism” after the collapse of the USSR, reports the BBC. “We must make sure that we get the tensions that have arisen recently under control,” Gorbachev said, in relation to the simmering conflict between the United States and Russia over Ukraine.
Gorbachev called for more dialogue between the West and Russia, and even suggested an end to sanctions against Russia, notes the Guardian. He went as far as to suggest that the United States and Europe are partly responsible for the conflict in Ukraine due to NATO’s expansion in Eastern Europe.
“Taking advantage of Russia’s weakening and a lack of a counterweight, they claimed monopoly leadership and domination in the world. And they refused to heed the word of caution from many of those present here,” Gorbachev said, according to the Telegraph. “The events of the past months are consequences of short-sighted policies of seeking to impose one’s will and fait accompli while ignoring the interests of one’s partners.”
