Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thank you to both witnesses for their attendance.
General Thibault, I'll start with you.
In terms of picking a side, I'm watching with great interest what's happening with the BRICS summit that Russia is hosting right now. That coalition started as an economic one, and it seems to be more of a military coalition slowly over time. We see North Korea's involvement now assisting Russia with the war in Ukraine, so that group's getting a little bigger and a little stronger over time.
If I look at what's happening to NATO and what's happening south of the U.S., we see some sabre-rattling, of course, with former president Trump. That situation is changing, so when you pick a side, you want to make sure that your team is as strong as, or stronger than, the others.
That's increasingly more in question as time goes on. Hopefully, all of this has to do with the election, in terms of his statements. However, if some of the things he has proposed come to fruition and he follows through on them, I think it presents an issue for Canada and its allies in terms of where we go next, especially in the Indo-Pacific region where China is coalescing a stronger group.
With all that said, what is your take in terms of picking a side under a scenario in which the U.S., as a partner, with a Trump presidency, might not be as reliable as it has been in the past?