What security challenges await Ukraine in the future, relations between Ukraine and NATO and how the American experience can help Ukraine win this war – a number of topical issues were discussed by representatives of the Defence Forces and world and Ukrainian scientific institutions at the seminar ‘Strategic level of national security and defence’, which was held for the second time in Kyiv Polytechnic.
‘This seminar demonstrates the non-governmental expert view of people who are now actively studying these issues, engaged in professional assessments in certain areas related to the real priorities of the US defence policy on how support for Ukraine is deployed, what are the challenges on this path and how the situation can be improved,’ said Ivan Kabanenko, Admiral, former Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine (2014), First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (2012-1013).
Among the main experts of the event was Mark Montgomery, Rear Admiral of the US Navy, who commented on the trends of the Russian-Ukrainian war, shared the views of American society on the current situation in the world, the priorities of US defence policy and the place of Ukraine in these priorities.
‘Ukraine now faces two challenges. The first is to cope with Russia’s illegal invasion and restore the sovereignty of Ukrainian lands. The second is how Ukraine can properly integrate into the European and NATO security framework. Whether it’s joining NATO or the European Union, the United States and our other allies and partners in Europe know how to help Ukraine do that in the most effective way,’ said Mark Montgomery, Rear Admiral, US Navy.
The Rear Admiral also stressed that ‘institutions like KPI are crucial for the future of Ukraine’. One of the main organisers of the event is the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute of Advanced Defence Technologies, whose representatives are convinced that such meetings will help to create a L5 master’s programme (courses in strategic management and public policy) in accordance with NATO standards.
‘I dream that someday we will reach the level of L5 master’s training, like in NATO. This programme has already been developed at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, and now the question is who will study there. So we look at who participates in the seminars and invite those people whom we see in the future in this programme,’ Yuriy Yekhanurov, Director of the Research Institute of Advanced Defence Technologies of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute