Nicusor Dan meets in Vilnius with Volodymyr Zelensky and Mark Rutte

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.   The leader from Kiev said that Romania “is very important” for Ukraine, but did not provide more details, suggesting that he does not want to comment on President Nicusor Dan’s agenda.The leader from Kiev told journalists that he has already invited the Romanian president to Ukraine. President Nicusor Dan 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.    President Nicusor Dan said on Monday that there is "a concern about long-term security in the Black Sea region, including in the Republic of Moldova".Nicusor Dan recalled that the Bucharest 9 (B9) format started 10 years ago, after Russia's attacks on Crimea, when there was "a potential threat from Russia". The Romanian President added that "the potential threat has become real, with a three-year war in Ukraine and all our countries facing hybrid threats". He added that we are currently dealing not only with a conventional war, "but also hybrid actions against our countries'.   The Romanian head of state was on Monday on his first foreign trip since taking office and is attending the Vilnius Summit with B9 and Nordic countries, where he is holding a joint press conference alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Poland Andrzej Duda, and the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, hosted by the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda. The high-level meeting in Vilnius was aimed at preparing for the NATO Summit in The Hague, scheduled for later this month.The Romanian president went on to affirm that "we need a stronger NATO". In reference to the discussions on GDP allocations for Defence, Nicusor Dan said that "not only do we need to increase the allocation for Defence, but also to produce military equipment to defend ourselves". (Photo:https://www.presidency.ro/)