President Nicusor Dan met on Monday with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, and with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, on the sidelines of the B9 and Nordic Countries Summit.

The Ukrainian people continue to show great courage in defending our common values – freedom and democracy. A just and lasting peace can only be achieved by showing strength. Romania will continue to stand by Ukraine and will further deepen bilateral ties, for the benefit of our peoples, Nicusor Dan wrote on the X platform, after the meeting with Zelensky.

He also appreciated that he had, on the sidelines of the Summit, an „excellent” meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

„We discussed deliverables for 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 on the same platform.

Nicusor Dan said that the next B9 Summit will take place in Romania, in 2026.

We concluded an essential summit in Vilnius. In the context of the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, a robust transatlantic alliance remains the backbone of our defense. The Russian threat requires credible deterrence. Allocating greater funds to defense 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.

AGERPRES