Mark Rutte says that NATO 3.0, referred to in the adopted declaration, “is the next logical step, where Europe takes on more responsibility, while the US can deal with other theaters, such as Asia”.
At the conclusion of the B9 summit in Bucharest, President Nicușor Dan, along with his Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki, and the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, held a press conference.
Mark Rutte emphasized that “Russia remains a direct threat to NATO and continues this war of aggression against Ukraine“. “We must defend the countries on the eastern flank, but we need to do more, considering the danger. The military must have the necessary capabilities, states must spend more. It’s a transatlantic alliance, but we need a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO. Support for Ukraine will continue to be a priority. A stronger Ukraine is the way to stop Russia’s aggression. We have many friends, we need US support for Ukraine. Ukraine’s security is also ours“, said Rutte.
Regarding NATO 3.0, the NATO Secretary General said that “it is the next logical step in which Europe assumes more responsibility, while the USA can deal with other theaters, such as Asia.”
In turn, Nicușor Dan said that the states in the B9 format have a common threat – Russia. “Following the summit, the parties issued a statement. It is explicitly written that Russia is a threat to us. In the statement, we talk about Ukraine and the support that our countries continue to offer, as well as military assistance and security guarantees, in the next phase. The B9 summit is a preparation for the NATO summit in Ankara. The theme here was to offer more for transatlantic security, because for the security of Europe, the transatlantic relationship is important“, Dan declared.
The Presidential Administration has published the text of the joint declaration of the B9 Summit and the Nordic Allies, which is taking place in Bucharest. In addition to President Nicușor Dan and his Polish counterpart, leaders from the other countries on NATO’s eastern flank and from the Nordic countries are participating in the summit, as well as Volodimir Zelenski, the President of Ukraine, Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, and representatives from the USA.