LIVE UPDATES: Tributes Pour in After Death of Former USSR Leader Mikhail Gorbachev

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed condolences to the family and friends of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who died on Tuesday, praising his contribution to building a world without nuclear weapons.

"I would like to express my condolences over the death of former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet Union, he played an important role in restoring the situation with the division of Europe and the confrontation between West and East after World War II. For the first time, he reached an agreement with the United States on nuclear arms reduction; he is the man who brought about the end of the cold war," Kishida said.

"As a world leader who agreed with the need to eliminate nuclear weapons, he left great achievements after him. He had broad strategic thinking and determination... I believe the role that Gorbachev played is very great and I once again express my feelings of sorrow and condolences in connection with his death," he said.

"I was a deep admirer of Gorbachev. Few people have changed the course of history in a positive way as much as he did," McFaul wrote on Twitter.

"Gorbachev was an enlightened statesman; a true hero of our time," McGovern said.

"The people of eastern Europe, and the German people, and in the end the Russian people - all they owe a great debt of gratitude for the inspiration, for the courage, and coming forward with these ideals of freedom," Kissinger said. "And even though he did not prove strong enough to resist depressions that he unleashed, he performed a great service to humanity."

Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton paid his respects to former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, describing him as a historic leader who helped shift US-Russia relations during the Cold War.

"Gorbachev was a historic leader and The Cold War reached a definitive turning point when he joined with [George] Bush 41 at the Helsinki Summit in Sept[ember] 1990 to oppose Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait," Bolton wrote via Twitter on Tuesday.

Mikhail Gorbachev “changed world history” in his role as leader of the Soviet Union by transforming the nation’s relationship with the United States and Europe, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez said in a statement.

“Mikhail Gorbachev changed world history by embracing democracy and a constructive relationship with the US and Europe. I express my condolences to his family and the Russian people,” Menendez said on Tuesday.

“My condolences on the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, a man of peace, whose choice opened a path to freedom for Russians. His commitment to peace in Europe has changed our common history,” he wrote on Twitter.

"Peace fighter Mikhail Gorbachev is gone. The world needs many more such leaders," Santos wrote on his Twitter page.

“Saddened to know about the passing away of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet president and Nobel Peace Prize winner (1990) who embarked on a path of radical reform that also brought about the end of the Cold War without bloodshed," Shahid said in a statement.

"On behalf of the United Nations, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Mikhail Gorbachev’s family and to the people and government of the Russian Federation," he said.