Russia's Lavrov accuses West of using Gorbachev's name for political ends

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday accused certain western politicians of double standards and exploiting the name of the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for their own political ends - including after he died on Tuesday after a long illness.

Lavrov said that days before Gorbachev had died, a number of Western figures, who have hailed Gorbachev for ending the Cold War, took part in a political "coven" called the Crimea Platform, organized by the Ukrainian leadership.

Lavrov said that Gorbachev, the first and only president of the Soviet Union, had considered Eastern Ukraine and Crimea as Russian territories, both in historical and legal terms, according to answers given in interviews.

"When Western politicians who praise Mikhail Sergeyevich (Gorbachev)'s contribution to world politics ignore these words of his, which echo analysis given... by (Russian) President Putin, this is obvious double standards," Lavrov said, accusing them of using his name "for their own geopolitical ends."

The Russian foreign minister was speaking at a marathon educational forum in Moscow where he answered questions from an audience made up of mostly young people.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/9096725/mikhail-gorbachev-death-world-leaders-reaction/

Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc
Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ
Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt
Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB
#GlobalNews