On December 26, 1991, the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine signed the Belavezha Accords, ending the existence of the Soviet Union. Since then, the question of whether the Soviet Union was reformable and therefore worth saving has been raised. Critics of the Soviet Union claim that the inherently unreformable nature of the Soviet Union is the reason the USSR turned in on itself without much of a struggle. However, defenders of the USSR claim that not only was the USSR reformable, but it had already begun to reform under Gorbachev, before President Yeltsin signed the Union's death warrant. The USSR under Gorbachev and Russia, first under Yeltsin and then under Putin, demonstrate a slow but definitive move away from many of the pillars of the Soviet Union. These developments concern the general areas of government ideology, economic systems, dictatorship, and authoritarian party control. While addressing these main ideas, it is important to recognize that reform and development does not necessarily involve a shift toward Western systems, but rather a move toward a system that functions effectively in the nation being studied, here immediately prior to dissolution of the USSR and Russia since then. time. Marvin Kalb says that the irrefutable proof of Russia's attitude is supported by the fact that all of Gorbachev's reforms were voted for by the entire political apparatus of the country, such as the politburo, the Central Committee and the two congresses, who have voluntarily reduced their own powers and created a democratic pathway for appointment to these bodies. The country's administrative apparatus was inspired by Gorbachev and evolved without much opposition towards a freer and more democratic society.