The leaders of the Bucharest 9 (B9) format adopted, on Wednesday, in Warsaw, in the presence of American President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, a joint declaration one year after the invasion of Ukraine. „Russia grossly miscalculated invading Ukraine and undermining the rules-based international order. We are stronger and more united than ever”, the leaders of NATO countries on the eastern flank said. According to the statement, Russia is the most important and direct threat to the security of the Alliance, and in order to protect its citizens and territory, the allies are committed to increasing the level of military presence in the countries on the Eastern Flank. B9 includes Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. Present at the meeting, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis emphasized the need to keep supporting Ukraine. He stated that Romania supports the inclusion of Ukraine in NATO when the conditions have been met.. In the context of increased security challenges, increasing the resilience of the Republic of Moldova is essential, and Romania will continue to act as a reliable ally, Klaus Iohannis also said. The goal of the summit was to continue the coordination between the Allies on the Eastern Flank of NATO and the USA. On Tuesday, on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his State of the Nation address, Joe Biden gave assurances in Warsaw that the West will support Ukraine as long as it is needed. Joe Biden arrived in Poland after a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday.
Eugen Cojocariu, Radio Romania International
