Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev warned Saturday at an event celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall that the world is on the verge of another Cold War.
Gorbachev, who ordered Soviet troops to stand down as the border between West and East Germany was opened in 1989, assigns much of the blame to the West, according to media reports.
“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,” he said, according to The Telegraph.
“We must make sure that we get the tensions that have arisen recently under control,” the Guardian reports him saying.
Gorbachev said Thursday that he would use his Saturday speech to defend Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I am absolutely convinced that Putin protects Russia’s interests better than anyone else,” he told the AFP.
Sunday marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
