B9 Summit. President: Unity is our greatest strength
The Bucharest Nine Summit was in session in the Romanian capital today, co–hosted by President Karol Nawrocki and President Nicușor Dan. Discussions were held to prepare and jointly develop a common position ahead of the forthcoming NATO Summit in Ankara. The participants have adopted a joint declaration. The next B9 meeting is due to take place in 2027 in Warsaw. The President was accompanied during his visit to Romania by Head of the Bureau of National Security, Bartosz Grodecki.
The talks were attended by the leaders of the countries that make up the B9 format, as well as by representatives of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), the NATO Secretary General, the President of Ukraine, and representatives of the US administration.
Statement of the B9 and Nordic Allies Summit in Bucharest
In his address at the Inaugural Session of the Summit, President Karol Nawrocki pointed out that when Poland and Romania launched the Bucharest Nine eleven years ago, they warned that “imperial thinking had returned to Europe.”
– Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is not an isolated conflict. It is a direct challenge to the entire Euro–Atlantic security order. The Kremlin seeks to restore spheres of influence, weaken NATO cohesion, and undermine the sovereignty of democratic nations across our region, argued Poland’s President.
The Polish Head of State reminded that The Kremlin seeks to restore spheres of influence, weaken NATO cohesion, and undermine the sovereignty of democratic nations across our region. He went on to say: This is why the Bucharest Nine matters more today than at any point since its creation.
Our region is no longer NATO’s periphery. It is NATO’s strategic centre of gravity. From the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and increasingly to the High North, the security of Europe is being defended every day by the resolve, readiness, and unity of our nations, he underscored.
In welcoming representatives from the Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and representatives of the US administration, the President of Poland emphasised that the involvement of these northern partners significantly strengthens the security architecture of Northern and Eastern Europe.
Together, we are building a continuous zone of allied deterrence stretching from the Arctic to the Black Sea. This unity is our greatest strength – and it is invaluable in the face of the first attempts from the Kremlin. The security of Europe remains inseparable from the strength of the transatlantic bond, he pointed out.
Moreover, President Nawrocki observed that a robust and credible Allied military presence on NATO’s Eastern Flank – including the continued engagement of the United States and other Allies – is essential for effective deterrence and the defence of our region.
Addressing the attendants of July NATO Summit in Ankara Polish President urged that the Summit should send an unmistakable message: “NATO is united, NATO is ready, and NATO will defend every inch of Allied territory.”
Appealing to the Allies he stressed that the security of Europe will not be guaranteed by declarations alone. It will be guaranteed by strength, preparedness, solidarity, and resolve. Poland is committed to all four, he concluded.
During the conference summarising the summit proceedings, President Karol Nawrocki emphasised that, once again, the countries of our region had demonstrated their ability to “speak with one voice on matters fundamental to our security.”
He recalled that the Bucharest Nine format has, from the very beginning, been described as the voice of NATO’s eastern flank. And over a decade ago, the countries of the community – in the face of Russia’s palpable neo–imperial ambitions – decided to pool their efforts to bolster the region’s security.
I can say with full conviction that our meeting today builds on and strengthens this cooperation, he added.
The Polish leader announced that a joint statement had been adopted by the Bucharest Nine and the Nordic allies during the meeting. – The central tenets of the declaration formally adopted today concern, on the one hand, increased defence spending and condemnation of Russia’s aggressive behaviour, while also calling for the strengthening of transatlantic relations, he noted.
President Karol Nawrocki also emphasised that the B9 leaders believe that the upcoming NATO Summit in Turkey should primarily demonstrate the Alliance’s political unity and military strength in response to threats from the Russian Federation. He added that there is also a consensus that the North Atlantic Alliance is founded on robust relations and partnerships with the United States.
I hope that a clear signal will emerge from Ankara, urging all Allies to increase defence spending.” He argued that the commitments made in The Hague are not an end in themselves, but the minimum necessary to maintain order in our part of the world.
The President of Poland thanked his Romanian counterpart for organising this year’s Summit. He expressed hope that next year's leaders' meeting would include the Nordic countries.
I am delighted to announce that we have unanimously agreed that the next Bucharest Nine summit will take place in Poland, in Warsaw, concluded Karol Nawrocki.
During the Bucharest Nine Summit, President Karol Nawrocki held talks with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The President was accompanied during his visit to Romania by: Head of the International Policy Bureau Marcin Przydacz, Head of the Bureau of National Security, and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of Poland, Jarosław Dębowski.
The Bucharest Nine, an initiative bringing together the countries on NATO’s eastern flank, includes: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.
