Thank you so much, Your Excellency. Thank you for being here and for your candour.
Like my colleagues, I am grateful for the deep and excellent friendship between our countries, and I am also grateful to the Ukrainians who have chosen to call Canada, particularly my part of Canada, on Vancouver Island and in Nanaimo and surrounding areas, their home.
I know there will be people in my community who are going to be watching things like this because they're so eager for news from home, to get updates and to hear how things are. I want to thank you for alluding to the human side of this conflict in your remarks. I know people here will be reassured that work is being done by Canada and other partners to help bring the Ukrainian children home and to help make things as comfortable as possible for people at home.
Could I ask you to put on your most optimistic hat for a moment? It's natural that everyone also wants to know when and how this might end and when the just, comprehensive and lasting peace you spoke about in your opening remarks might come about. Could you share what the progress is on the peace talks and where you see the best opportunities to move those forward?