The newly elected President of Romania, Nikusor Dan, said that Romania will continue to support Ukraine and stressed that a just peace can only be achieved through a show of force. He made this known on his Instagram account after the B9 and Nordic summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius yesterday, BTA reported.
Nikusor Dan also wrote on the social network that on the sidelines of the summit he had an “excellent“ meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“We discussed the results of the upcoming NATO summit, focusing on making our Alliance stronger and more capable. In The Hague, we will show our unity and collective strength“, the Romanian head of state wrote.
Nikușor Dan stressed that the next B9 summit will be held in Romania in 2026.
We have concluded an important summit in Vilnius. In the context of the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague, a strong transatlantic alliance remains the backbone of our defense. The Russian threat requires reliable deterrence. Allocating greater defense resources is not optional – it is our common responsibility. The allies on the eastern flank understand this with maximum clarity“, the Romanian president wrote on the online platform.
At the summit in Vilnius, Dan met with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, who invited his Romanian counterpart to visit Ukraine, the publication „Romania Insider“ reported. Zelensky made brief statements to the press upon his arrival at the summit, saying that “Romania is very important“ for Ukraine. He indicated that he would talk with Nikusor Dan about bilateral relations between the two countries.
The Romanian president participated yesterday in the B9 and Scandinavian summit in the Lithuanian capital, his first foreign visit since he officially took office as president, the Romanian publication recalls. The meeting in Vilnius aims to prepare for the NATO summit in The Hague, which will take place at the end of June and will represent an important moment for strengthening NATO and transatlantic unity. The discussions in Vilnius focused on strengthening NATO's deterrent and defensive posture on the eastern flank, increasing support for Ukraine and the need for European allies to increase defense investments. Before the meeting, Nikusor Dan said that he would also emphasize the need for support for the Republic of Moldova, which is exposed to complex risks and threats, recalls “Romania Insider“
Nikusor Dan recalled that the B9 format emerged 10 years ago, after Russia's attacks on Crimea.