Ex-Soviet leader Gorbachov warns of new Cold War

“The world is on the brink of a new Cold War,” the former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said on Sunday.

Gorbachev spoke at an event marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, where he claimed the West has “succumbed to triumphalism”.

He went on to say that discussions with Russia are necessary for the perpetuation of trust.

The destabilisation of the ex-Soviet Ukraine brought about tensions between the West and Russia.

Ukrainian authorities and pro-Russian separatists have been in a ceasefire since September but 4,000 people were killed in prior fighting, which began when Russian seized control of parts of eastern Ukraine in April.

BBC analyst Rob Broomby negated Gorbachev’s comments.

He said: “Well, Russia appears increasingly prepared to cast itself as a rival rather than a partner but tension is still nowhere near what it was during the hottest phases of the Cold War, such as the Cuban missile crisis or the building of the Berlin Wall.”

Gorbachev insisted: “Bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East against the backdrop of a breakdown in dialogue between the major powers is of enormous concern.”