Romanian president Nicușor Dan said NATO states must increase defense spending during the opening statements given at the Bucharest Nine (B9) Summit, which took place on Wednesday, May 13, in the Romanian capital.
The B9 is an alliance of the nine NATO countries located in Eastern Europe, the countries geographically closest to Russia, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. The general theme of the event in Bucharest is “Delivering More for Transatlantic Security,” according to the Romanian Presidential Administration.
The summit is co-chaired by the Romanian president and his Polish counterpart, conservative Karol Nawrocki. Numerous officials from partners in the region and the United States are in attendance.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky represents Ukraine and arrived in Bucharest along with first lady Olena Zelenska. Also in attendance are NATO head Mark Rutte, representatives of the United States, the Scandinavian states, and the eastern flank NATO states.
Romania backs increased defense spending
The Romanian president opened the summit proceedings with a statement regarding the objectives of the meeting. “We are close to Ukraine, close to the Black Sea, and close to areas where allied territory is threatened. Our goal is to align our visions regarding the future of NATO. For each of our countries, there is a priority for its own security and for strengthening the transatlantic relationship,” Nicusor Dan said.
He then pleaded for an increase in defense spending. “We must increase our contribution to the Alliance and build a solid transatlantic military-industrial base. It is an opportunity to see where we stand in implementing the commitments we made at the NATO summit in The Hague, and it is an opportunity to reaffirm our support for Ukraine and Moldova. Their security determines our security,” said the president.
Polish president Nawrocki echoed the Romanian president’s argument for increased defense spending.
“Credible deterrence also requires credible investments. Poland already dedicates 5% of its GDP to defense, one of the largest contributions in the entire Alliance. Increasing these expenditures is indispensable for our collective security,” he said, adding that the B9 countries are “the center of gravity of NATO.”
Zelensky: Russia must not dominate neighbors again
Upon receiving Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived later in the day, the Romanian president mentioned the “heroic struggle of the Ukrainian people” and the country’s importance for European security. “It is important to continue supporting Ukraine in this struggle. We must remain close so we can create a robust framework of security guarantees, and transatlantic cooperation remains essential,” Nicușor Dan added.
In turn, the Ukrainian president said he hopes that the war in Ukraine is close to ending, despite recent attacks from Russia. He also stressed the importance of the B9 Summit.
“It is important to have this format here, which brings together Northern and Central and Eastern Europe, which are under Russian threat from every point of view,” said Zelensky, referencing Russia’s prior demands regarding territorial changes in Ukraine.
“Our task is to ensure that Russia will never again be able to issue such ultimatums, to try to dominate or destabilize neighbors, or start wars without consequences. We must ensure that Russia is prevented from declaring war again, against anyone,” Zelensky said during an intervention at the B9 summit.
The Ukrainian president thanked participants “for the considerable support,” expressing particular gratitude to the US. Zelensky argued that “it must be proven that NATO is strong and will not break apart. Also, we should not be afraid to discuss an EU that can rely on its own resources.”
More than 15 European leaders, presidents, ambassadors, and high-ranking officials are present in Bucharest at the B9 and Nordic Countries Summit. The meeting has been organized since 2015 to strengthen the security of Europe’s eastern flank, after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in March 2014. Bucharest has not hosted the B9 Summit since 2022. Last year, the event took place in Vilnius, and Nicușor Dan also attended that meeting.
(Photo source: presidency.ro)
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