Last week, AUK hosted the first for the 2023 academic year AUK Talks, which was established in 2022 and by now has become the primary venue in Ukraine for gathering global leaders in the fields of security, politics, diplomacy and academia for open and candid public discussions.
On September 7th, AUK had the distinct privilege of hosting a true American war hero and a great friend of Ukraine - General David Petraeus who is a Partner in the global investment firm KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute. He is also the co-author with Andrew Roberts of the forthcoming book titled Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine.
General Petraeus served over 37 years in the U.S. military, culminating his career with six consecutive commands as a general officer, five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, command of U.S. Central Command, and command of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. Following retirement from the military and after confirmation by the Senate, he served as the Director of the CIA during a period of significant achievements in the war on terror.
While addressing the AUK students, friends and partners and answering the questions, General Petraeus outlined:
“I think the Ukrainian forces have adapted very impressively to the reality of this battlefield. As a former soldier, I can say that no military plan never survived contact with the enemy. Military successes are all about learning, especially on the battlefield. The side that learns the faster, is typically prevails. Education and training are big parts of the success.
I believe in institutions. As an investor, you cannot invest in a country that doesn’t have institutions. Even now, when you are thinking about how to win the war, you must think about how to win the peace. Now in Ukraine there is great work going on to address the issues that kept Ukraine from what it could be in the past including reforms of legal, and judicial institutions, anti-corruption, monopolistic practices, etc. I believe that AUK can and will play a significant role in that regard”.
This is already the second time that General Petraeus is delivering a talk in person to AUK students, friends and partners. We highly appreciate his continuous support for our academic endeavors!