Mikhail Gorbachev

The people are tired of promises. They want action. They want results.

If we do not move forward, we will be left behind. We will be condemned to stagnation.

I am not afraid of glasnost. I am not afraid of criticism. I am not afraid of democracy.

The main thing is to begin. To start moving. To break the ice.

We cannot live in the past. We must look to the future. We must build a new society.

My life has been full of struggle. And it will continue to be so.

I am not a dictator. I am a democrat. I believe in the power of the people.

The Soviet Union is not an empire. It is a multinational state.

We need more democracy, more glasnost, more openness. This is the only way forward.

I am not a magician. I cannot solve all problems overnight.

The greatest danger is not the external enemy, but the internal one. Stagnation, bureaucracy, corruption.

The reforms are irreversible. There is no turning back.

I am not afraid of making mistakes. Only those who do nothing make no mistakes.

The main thing is to trust the people. To give them freedom. To let them decide.

We must learn to live together. To cooperate. To build a common future.

The alternative to perestroika is stagnation and decline. We have no other choice.

I came to power to save the country, not to destroy it.

The old system is dead. We must build a new one.

I am not a pacifist. But I believe in peace. I believe in disarmament.

The nuclear threat is real. We must eliminate it. We must save humanity.