Adopting principles of glasnost and perestroika, he weighed the legacy of seven decades of Communist rule and set a new course, presiding over the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the U.S.S.R.
A proposed visa ban has divided many Europeans, with some arguing it would increase pressure inside Russia and others questioning whether it plays into Kremlin claims of persecution by the West.
Led by young women from Eastern Europe, they are cornering Europe’s leaders and pressing them for a total energy embargo on Russia — to end the fighting and to save the planet.