Serge Schmemann

Serge Schmemann, a member of The New York Times editorial board and expert on Russia, discusses the monumental impact of Mikhail Gorbachev on global politics. He highlights Gorbachev’s transformative policies of glasnost and perestroika that ended the Cold War and reflects on their legacy amidst today’s geopolitical tensions. Schmemann also explores Gorbachev’s paradoxical role in East Germany, the struggles of reforming a stagnant economy, and how these factors contributed to the Soviet Union's downfall.