Russia is the biggest threat to NATO, Ukraine belongs in the Alliance – Bucharest Nine leaders
During a meeting in Warsaw on Wednesday, the leaders of the Bucharest Nine confirmed their support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations and called Russia "the most significant and direct threat to Allied security".
The Bucharest Nine leaders said this in a joint statement, reports European Pravda.
"One year ago, Russia ravaged peace and security in Europe when it tried to subdue Ukraine by force. The Kremlin’s actions have led to a drastic deterioration of the security environment in the Euro-Atlantic area, and have also seriously damaged our partners’ security," the leaders of the nine countries emphasised.
The statement notes that "Russia is the most significant and direct threat to Allied security" and at the same time highlights the defensive nature of the Alliance.
The leaders of the Bucharest Nine reaffirmed their commitment to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and their intention to increase "NATO’s deterrence and defence posture and to enhance the Allied military presence in our countries".
They also expressed their readiness to "sustain international pressure on Russia", condemned "all those, including Belarus, who are actively facilitating Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine", and stressed their support of Kyiv "for as long as necessary".
"Ukraine’s future lies in Europe. We firmly support Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations," the joint statement reads.
The leaders of the Bucharest Nine also expressed their readiness to support NATO’s partners – Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina – and to promote the early entry of Sweden and Finland into the Alliance.
The Bucharest Nine is an international initiative of nine NATO member countries in Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic) which aims to deepen military cooperation between the countries of the eastern flank of the alliance, as well as discuss key security policy issues.
The last meeting between the format leaders was held on 22 February during President Joe Biden's visit to Poland.
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