Icons and Ideas with Peter Mallouk Finding strategy in an unstable world: Lessons from General David Petraeus, Partner, Chairman of the KKR Global Institute and Chairman of KKR Middle East.
Nov 7, 2025
Retired four-star General David Petraeus, former CIA Director and current Chairman of KKR Global Institute, delves into the evolving global landscape. He discusses how the reversal of globalization and current geopolitical tensions are reshaping investment risks. Petraeus highlights the significance of drones in modern warfare and analyzes the Ukraine conflict's dynamics. He also shares insights on Israel's objectives in Gaza and warns about the strategic challenge posed by China. His thoughts on AI's role in driving productivity add a forward-looking perspective to the conversation.
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Geopolitics Replaced Benign Globalization
- The world has shifted from benign globalization to renewed great-power rivalry with rising barriers to trade and capital flows.
- This transformation changes investment risk profiles and requires geopolitical risk to be central in deal decisions.
Make Geopolitics Part Of Diligence
- Identify geopolitical risks during diligence and decline deals you cannot sufficiently mitigate.
- Use relationships and frequent travel to help portfolio companies when geopolitical problems arise.
Seven Visits To Ukraine Revealed Rapid Innovation
- Petraeus visited Ukraine seven times since the 2022 invasion and observed rapid Ukrainian innovation in unmanned systems and maritime drones.
- He suggested laundering frozen Russian reserves into Euroclear bonds to fund Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia to negotiate.