Dr. Bradley Thayer

No, you've had your chance.

Thank you very much.

Well, I don't disagree with that, Steve, of course, as it's very important to do.

I think as Neil was just reporting, the meeting with Ruta is extremely significant.

It's gone on very long, so it's clearly contentious.

And the Trump administration is seriously querying what's the value of NATO now?

What's the value of NATO in support of U.S.

strategic interests at a time when we call on them for epic fury, for support with epic fury?

And you had Starmer's labor government say on Tuesday –

that it would not allow RAF Fairford or other bases to be used to strike the Iranian infrastructure.

You had Spain forbid the use of, deny the use of U.S.

bases.

Spanish bases to the U.S., and Italy has done the same thing.

France, similarly.

Germany, similarly.

So when we go back and think about the origins of NATO, we can see what Lord Ismay, who was the first Secretary General, British Field Marshal Lord Ismay, say about the objectives of NATO, and that was to keep the Russians out, the Germans down, and the Americans in.

To the degree to which those strategic interests still remain, of course, that's quite questionable.

We don't talk about the German threat anymore.

We don't really talk about keeping the Russians out, although that still remains in some form.

And, of course, the Americans in, right, is a very important rule for the NATO administration, for Ruta to keep that relationship going.