Policy

Former US President Jimmy Carter has died: Zelensky expresses condolences

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and Nobel Prize winner, has died in the United States. He was the oldest living president of the United States. This is reported by The Washington Post, Komersant ukrainskyi informs.

It is noted that Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100 at his home in Plains, Georgia. His son confirmed his death without giving a reason.

However, it is known that after February 2023, Carter underwent a series of hospitalizations, after which it was stated that he would stop further treatment and spend the remaining time at home under hospice care. The former US president had an aggressive form of melanoma, a skin cancer whose tumors had spread to the liver and brain.

Carter’s wife Rosalyn died a year earlier, on November 19, at the age of 96. Their marriage lasted more than 77 years, making it the longest presidential marriage in US history.

Jimmy Carter’s last public appearance was at his wife’s funeral in Plains, where he sat in the front row in a wheelchair.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his condolences to all Americans and the family of former US President Jimmy Carter on his death.

Zelenskyy noted that Carter was a leader who served as president when Ukraine had not yet gained independence, “but his heart was always with us when we had to fight for freedom.”

“We deeply appreciate his strong commitment to the Christian faith and democratic values, as well as his unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of unprovoked aggression by Russia,” the president emphasized.

According to him, Carter devoted his life to strengthening peace in the world and protecting human rights.

“This is what I ask you to remember today: peace matters, and the world must remain united in confronting those who threaten these values,” Zelenskyy said.

What is known about Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter became the 39th President of the United States in 1977.

Americans hoped that he would bring changes, particularly in economic policy and relations with other countries. During his presidency, significant progress was made in peace agreements, including the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel.

By the end of his term, however, his credibility had plummeted. The economic crisis, high inflation, unemployment, and energy problems, along with the 1979 Iranian crisis, when American hostages were taken in Tehran, undermined his reputation.

Despite his efforts, Carter was unable to effectively address these problems.

In 1979, under his leadership, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the START II agreement aimed at limiting strategic arms. The treaty was symbolically marked by the famous “kiss” between President Carter and Secretary General Leonid Brezhnev.

In 1980, at the peak of the Cold War, Carter initiated a boycott of the Moscow Olympics. In 1980, he lost the election to Ronald Reagan, after which he founded the Carter Center for Human Rights.

He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work to promote peace, human rights and conflict resolution.

He was diagnosed with melanoma in 2015.