The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, invited Romanian counterpart Nicu\u0219or Dan to Ukraine ahead a bilateral meeting during the Bucharest 9 Summit in Vilnius on Monday, June 2.<\/p>\n
Zelensky made brief statements to the press upon arrival at the summit, saying that \u201cRomania is very important\u201d to Ukraine. He indicated that he will talk with Nicu\u0219or Dan about the bilateral relations between the two states.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Today [e.n. Monday] I will have a meeting with the president of Romania. It is an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations \u2014 not only European matters, but also topics on the bilateral agenda. I have already invited the president of Romania to visit Ukraine. (…) Romania is very important,” Zelensky said at the B9 Summit in Vilnius, as quoted by Euronews Romania<\/a>.<\/p>\n The president of Romania is participating on Monday, June 2, in the B9 and Nordic Countries Summit, in the capital of the Republic of Lithuania, in his first external visit since officially taking office as president. The event is also attended by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, and representatives of NATO allies from Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland.\u00a0<\/p>\n The meeting in Vilnius aims to prepare for the NATO summit in The Hague, which will take place at the end of June and will represent an important moment for strengthening NATO and transatlantic unity.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe discussions in Vilnius will focus on strengthening NATO\u2019s deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank, on increasing support for Ukraine, as well as on the need for European Allies to increase investments in defense,\u201d according to a\u00a0statement<\/a>\u00a0from the Presidential Administration of Romania issued before the meeting. Additionally, president Nicu\u0219or Dan will highlight the need to also support the Republic of Moldova, which is exposed to complex risks and threats.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Euronews Romania<\/a>, one of the first conclusions of discussions held on Monday was that\u00a0Romania will host the next Bucharest Nine (B9) summit in 2026. European leaders also agreed on the objective for allies to invest at least 5% of GDP in defense, in order to address the security threats and challenges posed by Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n The Romanian president traveled to Vilnius onboard a C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft from the Romanian Air Force fleet, according to\u00a0Boarding Pass<\/a>.<\/p>\n