Members of NATO’s eastern flank on Friday called for an intensified US military presence in the region ahead of an Atlantic alliance summit in Vilnius in July.
“We need to work towards a greater US presence in our region, on the eastern flank, in terms of troops and equipment,” Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said after talks with counterparts of the so-called Bucharest Nine (B9), a group of countries including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
The group reiterated calls to strengthen defense capabilities in the region bordering war-torn Ukraine. “If we have a strong defense, we can project a strong deterrent against Russia’s destabilizing behavior,” Aurescu said after talks in the Polish city of Lodz. “This is the only language Russia understands,” he added.
Aurescu called for “more air defenses, more anti-missile capabilities in our areas … more resources for surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence”. The B9 countries also pledged increased support to Ukraine to prevent a Russian invasion.
“The B9 countries are leaders here, also in terms of mobilizing allies for more daring actions, as was the case with the transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets or tanks,” said Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau.
“We all support Ukraine’s entry into NATO,” Aurescu added, “the priority now is to help Ukraine win this war.” “The next month, the next period will be crucial for the fate of the war in Ukraine,” said Aurescu.
Source: DN
