On Monday, May 10, President Joe Biden spoke with NATO’s eastern flank Allies in a virtual summit of the Bucharest Nine (B9) countries hosted by Presidents Klaus Iohannis of Romania and Andrzej Duda of Poland, the White House press service reports.
President Biden underscored his commitment to rebuilding alliances and strengthening Transatlantic relations.
“President Biden expressed his support for enhancing NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, as well as the importance of Allies increasing their resilience against harmful economic and political actions by our (the U.S. – “Apostrophe”) strategic competitors,” the message reads.
Biden was also seeking closer cooperation with the nine states on challenges "including global health security, climate change, energy security, and global economic recovery".
According to Klaus Iohannis, the President of Romania, NATO Eastern flank needs an increase of allied military presence in the region, Reuters reports.
“As allies on the Eastern flank, we need to continue consolidating deterrence and defence. We all recently witnessed the worrying military build-up by Russia in our close neighbourhood, in the Black Sea, in and around Ukraine," Iohannis said, adding, "This is why I have argued, including in discussions with President Biden, for an increase of allied military presence in Romania and ... the south of the Eastern flank."
President Biden welcomed the opportunity to engage with these Allies – as well as with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who was also in attendance – about Alliance efforts to meet future threats, which will be discussed at the June 14 NATO Summit.