Tweet
8 November 2014 Last updated at 10:56 ET Share this page
Ex-USSR leader Gorbachev: World on brink of new Cold War
Jump media player
Media player help
Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev "The world is on the brink of a new Cold War"
Continue reading the main story Related Stories
The world is on the brink of a new Cold War, and trust should be restored by dialogue with Russia, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has said.
At an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Sunday, Mr Gorbachev said the West had "succumbed to triumphalism".
He expressed alarm about recent Middle Eastern and European conflicts.
Tensions have been raised between the West and Russia over Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine between government troops and pro-Russian rebels.
More than 4,000 people have died since April, when pro-Russian separatists seized control in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
A fragile ceasefire has been in place since September, but elections in rebel-held elections last weekend have prompted fears of a return to full-scale conflict.
Western 'triumphalism' Mr Gorbachev, 83, was attending an event at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, seen as a symbol of Germany's reunification.
"Bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East against the backdrop of a breakdown in dialogue between the major powers is of enormous concern," he said.
The Wall's fall is a powerful symbol of the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe
White balloons follow the course of the Wall as part of the anniversary celebrations
"The world is on the brink of a new Cold War. Some are even saying that it's already begun."
He said that the West, in particular the US, had succumbed to "triumphalism" after the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
For this reason the global powers had been unable to cope with conflicts in Yugoslavia, the Middle East and now Ukraine, he added.
The former Soviet leader urged the West to lift sanctions on Russian officials - imposed over the annexation of Crimea and Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukraine conflict - and restore trust through dialogue with the Kremlin.
Mr Gorbachev, as leader of the USSR in the late 1980s, is credited with rapprochement with the West and creating a more liberal atmosphere which led to the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe in 1989.
On 9 November of that year East Germany opened its borders including the Wall, which separated East and West Berlin.
Its collapse led to a mood of euphoria, as many East Germans got their first glimpses of the West.
Hundreds are now arriving in the German capital to celebrate Sunday's anniversary.
Festivities will include a rock concert and fireworks at the Brandenburg Gate. Other participants include German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Polish president Lech Walesa.
More on This Story
Ex-USSR leader Gorbachev: World on brink of new Cold War
Jump media player
Media player help
Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev "The world is on the brink of a new Cold War"
Continue reading the main story Related Stories
- Germany adapts to immigrant influx
- Berlin buzzing despite German slowdown Listen
- When people power won Watch
The world is on the brink of a new Cold War, and trust should be restored by dialogue with Russia, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has said.
At an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Sunday, Mr Gorbachev said the West had "succumbed to triumphalism".
He expressed alarm about recent Middle Eastern and European conflicts.
Tensions have been raised between the West and Russia over Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine between government troops and pro-Russian rebels.
More than 4,000 people have died since April, when pro-Russian separatists seized control in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
A fragile ceasefire has been in place since September, but elections in rebel-held elections last weekend have prompted fears of a return to full-scale conflict.
Western 'triumphalism' Mr Gorbachev, 83, was attending an event at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, seen as a symbol of Germany's reunification.
"Bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East against the backdrop of a breakdown in dialogue between the major powers is of enormous concern," he said.
The Wall's fall is a powerful symbol of the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe White balloons follow the course of the Wall as part of the anniversary celebrations "The world is on the brink of a new Cold War. Some are even saying that it's already begun."
He said that the West, in particular the US, had succumbed to "triumphalism" after the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
For this reason the global powers had been unable to cope with conflicts in Yugoslavia, the Middle East and now Ukraine, he added.
The former Soviet leader urged the West to lift sanctions on Russian officials - imposed over the annexation of Crimea and Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukraine conflict - and restore trust through dialogue with the Kremlin.
Mr Gorbachev, as leader of the USSR in the late 1980s, is credited with rapprochement with the West and creating a more liberal atmosphere which led to the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe in 1989.
On 9 November of that year East Germany opened its borders including the Wall, which separated East and West Berlin.
Its collapse led to a mood of euphoria, as many East Germans got their first glimpses of the West.
Hundreds are now arriving in the German capital to celebrate Sunday's anniversary.
Festivities will include a rock concert and fireworks at the Brandenburg Gate. Other participants include German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Polish president Lech Walesa.