Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As you mentioned, I was in Ukraine last Thursday and Friday, and in Poland on Saturday and Sunday, so I'm not sure which time zone I'm in. I will say the engagements that I had were illuminating.
I had the opportunity to sit down with my counterpart, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, for a number of hours to talk about future plans, equipping and challenges that they are facing. We had detailed briefings from their general staff.
What Canada is doing is well appreciated. We need to maintain our resolve, because this is going to be a long, drawn-out conflict. For Ukraine to survive, it's going to be predicated on the west's collective resolve to continue to support Ukraine. The Ukrainians are deeply appreciative of Canada and what we've provided.
I went into Poland and I visited our troops. First of all, I met my Polish counterpart, who, again, was deeply appreciative of what Canada is doing to support Poland and the front line of freedom in eastern Europe. I visited our troops, who are training Ukrainians, and talked to them. The sense of motivation.... Young troops were telling me that this is the most meaningful thing they have done in their lives.
Mr. Chair, the Canadian Armed Forces are filled with great Canadians. They're people who want to make a difference. This is an organization that is making a difference in the world, and the world needs more of us.
The Ukrainians I talked to.... In Ukraine, I met a number of non-commissioned members who had undergone training under Operation Unifier. They were so thankful for what Canada has done.
We need to keep it up. We need to continue to support Ukraine in its battle for survival against brutal, naked aggression. It really drives home how much the world has changed.
Again, we're facing an era of confrontation for the rest of our lives. We're facing adversaries who respect only hard power. They view compromise as a weakness to be exploited, so the rules of the game have changed. If we want our national prosperity to continue, we have to be willing to defend our democracy, willing to defend the rules-based international order and willing to support friends like Ukraine.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.