Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) gave an interview to the BBC in 2019. What was discussed were the tensions between teh Russian Federation and the West. Gorbachev cited nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction as creating causing more hostility between nations. The tension will always bet there if the US and Russia continue to expand their arsenals. What he also condemned was America's nuclear attack on Japan during World War II. To him, it was more about threatening other countries rather than a fast end to the war. Russians do not favor war nor are they seeking another large conflict. Mikhail Gorbachev as General Secretary found out that most of the Soviet citizens were more concerned about a confrontation with the United States compared to other problems. The tension between the EU and Russia now is not another Cold War. The world is falling into a network of proxy wars and a shift to multipolarity. The choice not to intervene in Eastern Europe in 1989 was out concern for a mass conflict. Gorbachev reveals some were opposed to German reunification, even those who celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was not supportive of German reunification. His thoughts on President Putin explain why he is popular among the Russian citizens. The turbulence of the 1990s created a desire for some order. Vladimir Putin is viewed as a stabilizing force. The price paid for that is a more authoritarian system based around one individual. Gorbachev shows an astute understanding of Russian politics and foreign policy in the interview. The concerns mentioned should be taken seriously by every world leader.
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