Henry Kissinger, widely considered to be the most powerful U.S. national security adviser in American history, died on Nov. 29 in his home state of Connecticut.
He is known for advancing detente leading to thawed relations with Moscow and Beijing.
Kissinger helped prolong the Vietnam War then expanded the conflict into Cambodia, and also fueled civil wars in Africa and Latin America leading to the deaths of millions of people according to his own biographer.
His policies led to a ceasefire following the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
In 2017, he briefed Donald Trump on international affairs, suggesting the new president accept Vladimir Putin's occupation of Crimea.
But by 2023, Kissinger had changed his views on Ukraine, arguing that Nato membership was essential.
"A country that demands moral perfection in its foreign policy, will achieve neither perfection nor security,” he famously said.
Martin Fornusek
