00:01We're not going to do a round of five-minute questions for members who are here.
00:06I'm going to start with myself.
00:08Mr. Brody, Finland is a great example of what can happen on this planet.
00:16About three weeks before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia,
00:23my wife and I had the honor of having dinner with the Finnish ambassador to his home.
00:27And I had been a longtime advocate for the end suite and becoming members of NATO.
00:33We had a robust discussion, as we usually do.
00:36He underscored to me that 70 percent of Finnish people really wanted to stay neutral.
00:43They had a national policy of neutrality, which they said worked out very well for them.
00:49And interestingly enough, they are very prepared.
00:54Even though they're neutral, there's very few countries, I think, as prepared as they are to take an invasion.
01:00Because it's an all-in with all their citizens.
01:03But in any event, we had a nice discussion about it.
01:07But he said, no, they really felt neutral.
01:10So about three weeks later, which was about a week later, it was after the invasion,
01:16I ran into him at another reception, I came across him and said, how's that neutrality thing working on?
01:21He says, we're in. We're all in.
01:22So within that short period of time, they changed dramatically.
01:27Then I had the good fortune of being able to visit them last year.
01:32And they're a great partner.
01:34I mean, as quickly as they came on, as you know, we struggled with one of our so-called allies in NATO,
01:40two of them, as a matter of fact, to get them in.
01:43But we got the job done.
01:44And I think you're going to find them really all in.
01:48So best wishes there.
01:50And I think you're going to find that not particularly heavy lift,
01:53convincing them that looking west rather than east is the way to go.
01:58So, Mr. Puzner, at the EU, what you're going to find is Europeans that are very nervous,
02:07which I'm sure you already know.
02:10And we spend a lot of time trying to convince them that we are a partner.
02:17We're a reliable partner and we're all in.
02:20We have had an argument over defense spending.
02:24And as you know, in NATO, all of us agreed, and it was a unanimous agreement that we'd spend 2%.
02:29And until President Trump took office, only three countries had met that 3%.
02:35And President Trump, as you know, has a way of speaking directly.
02:39And he spoke directly and the Europeans heard him.
02:42And they were offended a bit because his sensibilities aren't the same level as theirs are.
02:48But they started writing checks, and now we're into the 20s of the 32 members of NATO.
02:55So I hope you'll be able to talk with them about defense spending
02:59and convince them that it's got nothing to do with our relationship as much as it does them meeting their obligations.
03:06Your thoughts on that?
03:08Well, I think it's essential.
03:09Thank you very much, Senator, for that question.
03:12And I agree with you 100%.
03:14I think it's essential, as the President has stated, that the Europeans be able to defend the European continent.
03:23And I was reading Secretary General of NATO's comments yesterday about the need for NATO to step up
03:30and be able to defend itself with American help.
03:33They talked about America not withdrawing troops.
03:35But NATO members needing to step up to now a 5% commitment, which many have stepped up to, I believe, including Finland recently.
03:45And as of yesterday, even Canada agreed that it was going to meet its commitment to do 2% five years sooner than it had previously committed to do.
03:53So, obviously, as a citizen, I'm not read in on the intricacies of what's going on in the European Union with respect, or in NATO, with respect to defense spending.
04:04But I think there is a realization in NATO that they do need to step it up, that the United States has commitments, particularly in the Pacific, that are going to be drawing on our resources.
04:13I was reading one member of Parliament stating that a country with 450 million people shouldn't be depending on a country with 340 million people
04:25to defend it against a country with 140 million people that can't beat a country with 38 million people.
04:30So, I think there is a realization there that they need to step it up.
04:34What I've heard in speaking with people over there is that there is a hope that somebody who actually knows the president and can speak with him comes over there and gives them a direct line.
04:47And I think that's one of the advantages I'll have being in the European Union, and I think that'll give me some credibility.
04:54Well, thank you.
04:55Although you say you're not read in on this spending, you're going to get read in pretty quick on it.
05:00And it's a matter that is discussed regularly every time we meet with them.
05:09And it can be a robust discussion, but they are coming around.
05:15The momentum is the way you just described, and that is at first they were quite reluctant.
05:21We got a little help from Putin, I'll admit that.
05:23But now they understand what way this has to go.
