B9 and Nordic Allies meet in Bucharest, condemn Russia and back Ukraine
The leaders of the Bucharest Nine and the Nordic Allies met today in Bucharest and issued a joint statement on security and defence across NATO's eastern flank. The meeting included the NATO Secretary General and the President of Ukraine.
The United States attended as an observer. The declaration says the summit reflected a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation along the entire NATO Eastern Flank, described as a strategic continuum from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea and into the Nordic and Arctic regions.
The allies said they are determined to deliver on NATO 3.0 by advancing a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO. They said the transatlantic bond remains the backbone of collective security.
The statement says the allies are united in the face of profound security threats and challenges, with particular focus on what they call the long-term threat posed by Russia. It says the group is scaling up contributions to collective defence through enhanced burden sharing and increased defence investments.
The allies said they are working toward a 5% of GDP commitment, and noted that significant progress has already been achieved across the Alliance, with some allies already at or beyond the defence investment target. The declaration states that Russia is and will remain the most significant, long-term and direct threat to allied security.
In response, NATO is urged to focus on collective defence through a robust forward defence posture. The statement says the allies remain committed to ensuring that NATO's defence plans are fully resourced and to delivering capability targets, military mobility and enablement.
It specifically names the extension of NATO's fuel pipeline system to the Eastern Flank. The summit statement condemns Russia's highly confrontational actions against allies and partners.
It lists sabotage, cyber-attacks, a wide range of hybrid attacks, and destabilising activities. It also says repeated airspace violations on the Eastern Flank underline the urgent need to strengthen NATO's air and missile defence, including against UAS threats.
The allies also say they remain committed to protecting critical maritime infrastructure and upholding freedom of navigation under international law, including the law of the sea. The declaration commends Baltic Sentry and Eastern Sentry for enhancing the alliance posture, and says Arctic Sentry is a stepping stone toward a stronger and persistent NATO presence in the Arctic.
The statement calls for further scaling up of the transatlantic defence industrial base through increased production capacity, more resilient supply chains, effective multinational procurement, sustained investment in research and innovation, and use of lessons learned through close cooperation with Ukraine. It says this is essential to meeting current security challenges.
The allies also highlight EU initiatives such as Eastern Flank Watch, which they say is aimed at increasing the capacity to defend the EU's eastern frontier, especially its most vulnerable segments. On Ukraine, the Bucharest Nine and Nordic Allies reaffirm their support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
They say they stand by previous NATO decisions on Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The statement says the allies will continue to meet Ukraine's most urgent defence needs through all available means and instruments, including NATO's Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative.
The declaration supports a just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law and underpinned by robust and credible security guarantees. It welcomes the ongoing peace efforts of the United States, together with allies and partners, and commends Ukraine for constructive engagement.
The allies say pressure on Russia to end its illegal war of aggression and engage meaningfully in peace negotiations must be increased. The statement also says the group remains concerned about the Middle East and supports efforts by allies to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The next meeting is expected in the Republic of Poland. Hungary signalled constructive abstention and said it was not in a position to accept the current wording of the declaration as agreed language.
