At the meeting of the leaders of the Bucharest Nine in Riga, Polish President Andrzej Duda listed the realization of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic ambitions as one of Poland’s priorities for the July NATO summit.
“It is necessary to issue an official invitation to Ukraine to join NATO,” he said.
Duda also underlined the need for decisive actions to counter Russia’s stance, which Duda called “Soviet Russian.” He observed that back in the days of the Soviet Union NATO members were prepared to spend 3 percent or more of their GDP on defense and that the alliance must now return to those levels of defense spending.
The Polish president acknowledged NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s presence, reinforcing the alliance as a crucial defense guarantee. Later, he told reporters that revising NATO’s approach to Russia is a priority for the July summit in Washington, D.C.
Duda said that the summit would solidify transatlantic bonds and affirm the credibility of allies for deterrence and defense.
“Decisions made at the summit will be key to dealing with Russia’s growing aggression,” Duda said.
He warned that Russia is ready to use all available resources to achieve its imperial-like goals. He also noted the use of migration as a weapon along NATO’s eastern border.
“Russia has not been conducting dialogue with NATO,” Duda said. “It is a country hostile to the alliance, an aggressor in Ukraine, and towards the entire free world.”
Duda added that while Ukraine cannot become a full NATO member before the war ends, the process should continue to show Russia that Ukrainian aspirations are recognized and supported.
The Bucharest Nine, formed in 2015, serves as an informal cooperation platform for NATO’s eastern flank, consisting of Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. The summit has held eight meetings already, including three in Warsaw.
