Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have a supplementary question for the ambassador that I put to his Georgian and Moldovan colleagues last week because I am interested in the nuances in the differences of approach. It concerns a move towards defence co-operation within the EU, the EU having its own defence capacity and how this would sit with NATO. I discerned last week that there was concern that the defence of Georgia, Moldova and the rest of Europe is anchored on ensuring the presence of the United States and that anything that might be perceived as moving away from that would diminish the strength of the protection. It is all well and good unless someone like Mr. Trump is elected or Mr. Trump is elected again. Could one depend on the support of the United States in those circumstances? It is a complicated question. I do not know whether the ambassador has a view on how enhanced security arrangements within the EU might play against the issue of NATO.