In a 1994 conversation, Henry Kissinger and Jack Matlock debated the controversial issue of NATO expansion and its potential impact on U.S.-Russia relations and the stability of Eastern Europe. President Boris Yeltsin cautioned that NATO's enlargement could lead to a cold peace and further isolate Russia.
Kissinger advocated for NATO expansion, seeing it as a crucial measure to secure the sovereignty and stability of Central European nations such as Poland and Hungary. He warned that delaying expansion could create a geopolitical vacuum, leaving these countries susceptible to influence from both Germany and Russia. For Kissinger, NATO represented a stabilizing force and an "insurance policy" against future uncertainties, and he believed that with proper diplomatic and military reassurances, expansion need not provoke Russia.
On the other hand, Matlock raised concerns about rapid expansion, arguing that Russia, despite its weakness, did not pose an immediate military threat. He suggested that expanding NATO could exacerbate nationalist sentiments in Russia, potentially destabilizing its domestic politics and hindering its transition to democracy.
Instead, Matlock emphasized the importance of economically integrating Eastern European nations into the European Union and continuing diplomatic efforts to address Russian concerns.
The conversation underscored the differing approaches to balancing security, diplomacy.
The 37-year-old Green Beret, who the FBI says suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, had “no animosity” for Trump and wrote that the explosion was “not a terrorist attack.” However, Livelsberger did make clear that he was displeased with the state of the country.
Matthew Livelsberger’s profile photo on LinkedIn.
“This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call,”he wrote.
“Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?” His point, apparently, was that the United States, the “best country people (sic) to ever exist,” are “terminally ill” and are headed for “collapse.” “Fellow Service members, Veterans, and all Americans, TIME TO WAKE UP!”Livelsberger wrote.
“We are being led by weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves.”
A Tesla Cybertruck continues to burn after exploding outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., Jan. 1, 2025.Alcides Antunes via Reuters
The explosion’s timing and apparent symbolism led some people to speculate that he chose a Cybertruck—Elon Musk’s crown jewel of a vehicle—and blew it up in front of a Trump hotel because he opposed the president-elect and his new top ally. Livelsberger’s note paints a different—and perhaps muddier—picture, however. “Why did I personally do it now?” he wrote. “I needed to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.” Livelsberger was the explosion’s only fatality, but seven bystanders were injured in the New Year’s Day blast.
A law enforcement source told the Daily Beast on Thursday that Livelsberger’s family told investigators he was a “big” Trump fan who voted for him in November.
Another report by The Independent corroborated that, with his uncle saying his nephew “loved Trump” and “a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American.”
More details about Livelsberger emerged later Thursday, including a report that said his second wife had left him just days before he killed himself. A police update on Friday afternoon included several photos of Livelsberger, including his partially burnt passport, and screengrabs of him at charging sites between his hometown of Colorado Springs and Las Vegas.
Matthew Livelsberger while charging his rented Cybertruck.Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Livelsberger inserted a handgun into his mouth and pulled the trigger just before the rented Cybertruck exploded. The FBI said Friday that the vehicle was never put in a self-driving mode, seemingly putting to bed conspiracies that Livelsberger had been set up and killed prior to his arrival at the Trump International Hotel.
A LinkedIn profile for Livelsberger showed he served in the military for 19 years, including a stint in Afghanistan. More recently, he was based in Germany but had been back stateside on approved leave.
An ex-girlfriend of Livelsberger told The Washington Post he suffered a traumatic brain injury while deployed overseas that left him suffering with “a cloudy memory, poor concentration, difficulty maintaining relationships, and intense guilt over his actions on the battlefield.”
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