Donald Trump has declined Romania’s invitation to attend the B9 summit, which takes place on May 13th in Bucharest, according to sources from hotnews.ro. The USA could be represented at the event by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Donald Trump was invited to the B9 summit, as it is customary for American leaders to be called to the meeting. The US President thanked Romania for increasing its GDP allocations for defense and for the support provided in the context of the Middle East war, but mentioned that he will not be coming to Bucharest.
At the event, however, it is possible that the American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, may participate. It is not yet known whether the diplomat will come to Romania or will send a message via video conference.
At the event, the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelenski Zelenski, will also participate, who will be present at lunch, as well as representatives from the Baltic and Nordic countries.
The B9 format was launched in 2015 by the then presidents of Romania and Poland, Klaus Iohannis and Andrzej Duda, in the context of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. It is a platform for consultation and coordination of the positions of NATO countries on the eastern flank.
The most recent meeting of the B9 members took place in Vilnius, Lithuania. Nicușor Dan also participated in the summit, alongside NATO leader Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenski.
The last B9 summit organized in Bucharest took place in 2022, a few months after Russia attacked Ukraine. Then, the co-founders of the format presented a joint statement of the nine member states in which they condemned the war, reiterated their support for Ukraine, and reaffirmed their commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.