What soviet leader is credited for ending cold war?

Mikhail Gorbachev is credited with playing a crucial role in ending the Cold War. His policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) aimed to reform the Soviet Union and reduce tensions with the West. Gorbachev's willingness to engage in dialogue with Western leaders, along with his decision to withdraw Soviet troops from Afghanistan and reduce nuclear arsenals, helped pave the way for the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union and the easing of Cold War hostilities.