Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was in the Dáil earlier. All politics is local so I was dealing with that so I missed most of the discussion for which I sincerely apologise. I did not hear the discussion about academic qualifications but I will gloss over that issue. I genuinely mean it when I say that I am sorry I did not hear all of the discussion.

The witnesses spoke about the impact of the debate on joining NATO in Finland and Sweden. What are the witnesses' views on that and where it is going? I read one or two articles. It seems there is a debate but they are not seriously considering it and at least for now are happy to remain as they are. One of the lessons I learned from my time in Brussels involved how the Swedes and Finns view Russia. Of course, I should have known but I did not. It was certainly a learning curve for me.

My second question is about Nord Stream 2. How strategic is this? Germany has come round to saying that if there is an invasion, this could be on the table. That is really significant. I remember when the Russians basically switched off the gas seven or eight years ago. Some people froze to death in high-rise apartments in Hungary. Within a short enough period, they switched the gas back on because, of course, it was worth nothing to them while still in the ground. My question is two-pronged. How strong might Germany be in holding the line on Nord Stream and how far would Putin be prepared to go in terms of suffering the financial consequences of that?

Senator Keogan asked a question about boots on the ground. As the witnesses noted, the EU does not have the boots. However, different countries do have them. French boots could be put on the ground.

Could certain European countries, like France, go it alone or is it more likely if there is any intervention in support for Ukraine, a number of countries would be involved? If action were taken by the French to intervene in any way in Ukraine, how would that be likely to play out in the forthcoming French presidential election? One of the advantages President Putin has is that he does not need to keep looking over his shoulder.

I have the same question in the context of other European countries. What would the impacts on national politics in any other European country be if it were to consider a possible intervention in Ukraine? Even though it is no longer with us, do the witnesses see any role for the UK?