The countries of NATO’s eastern flank, including Bulgaria, called today for strengthening the US military presence in the region. The information is from France Press, quoted by BTA.
The agency notes that the countries of the so-called Bucharest Nine (B-9) made their appeal just months before one of them, Lithuania, hosted the summit of the alliance in July.
We must do everything necessary “to increase the American presence in our region, on the eastern flank (of NATO), in terms of soldiers and military equipment,” Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said after a meeting with his counterparts from B- 9 in the Polish city of Lodz (b. ed.: in Polish Ludz).
He argued that a “robust defense” would serve as a “strong deterrent” to Russia’s “destabilizing behavior.” “This is the only language that Russia understands,” stressed Aurescu.
The Romanian foreign minister specifically called for “more air defense, greater anti-aircraft capability on the territory (of the B-9 countries and) more means of surveillance and intelligence.”
NATO’s eastern flank countries have also pledged additional support for Ukraine to repel Russian invaders.
“The priority from now on is to help Ukraine win this war,” Aurescu pointed out. He made it clear that the B-9 countries support the former Soviet republic joining NATO.
The format includes Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
