Thank you very much to both of our witnesses.
I would like to start with a review of the information that we have discussed in various places, including the Standing Committee on National Defence and the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association.
I remember that, in December, we were barely talking about what was going on in Ukraine. We knew that troops had gathered along the border, but it was as if no one was really paying attention.
Over time, the Standing Committee on National Defence started questioning whether aggression could occur, but the consensus seemed to be that Russia might use rebels in the Donbass to indirectly annex Luhansk and Donetsk. In the end, we were all caught off guard to see Russia launch an outright attack on Kiev.
That said, I wonder how crazy it is to think that there could be a scenario involving a direct attack against a NATO member country.
I would also like to know Canada's state of preparedness to participate in a joint effort with other NATO countries.