B9 meeting in Bucharest

NATO must react to Russia’s incursions into the member states’ airspace, in the context of the war in Ukraine. This is the conclusion of the B9 meeting in Bucharest.

Daniela Budu, 19.09.2024, 14:00

NATO must react to Russia’s incursions into the member states’ airspace, in the context of the war in Ukraine. This is the conclusion of the B9 meeting in Bucharest.

NATO must give a robust and coordinated response to the repeated intrusion of Russian drones and missiles into the Alliance’s airspace, the Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said. At the B9 meeting in Bucharest, bringing together the allied defense ministers on NATO’s Eastern Flank, Minister Tîlvăr said that the security situation in the Black Sea region remains worrying, due to the threats generated by Russia’s aggressive actions, including through disinformation and cyber attacks. Angel Tîlvăr: “The B9 states are deeply concerned about the repeated incursions of Russian Federation’s drones and missiles into NATO airspace in Poland, Romania and Latvia and about the escalation of tensions along the NATO borders. That is why a robust and coordinated response at allied level is needed, as well as the implementation, as soon as possible, of the rotational model of NATO’s integrated air and anti-missile defense”.

Against this background, the Romanian minister also focused on the Republic of Moldova, which is facing challenges from the Russian Federation. He pointed out once more that the country needs support for its European integration, a safe investment, he says, in the security of the Black Sea region and Europe. In turn, the Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Zalewsky, said that at the upcoming meeting of the Defense Ministers from the allied states, it is important to establish concrete action measures to detect drones and destroy enemy targets. According to Zalewsky, when we say that no centimeter of NATO territory can be attacked by Russia and must be defended, we are also referring to airspace. He also said that  essential initiatives were discussed  in this context, namely The European Sky Shield Initiative and the Eastern Shield initiative, the first being aimed at strengthening cooperation and increasing funding, and the second at strengthening the borders with Russia and Belarus.

Present in Bucharest on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on Romania to analyze the possibility of shooting down Russian drones and missiles near the Romanian airspace. During the meeting with his Romanian counterpart, Luminiţa Odobescu, he hailed the support granted by Romania, for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, following the country’s decision to donate a Patriot system. Minister Sybiha said this is a shield not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe, and that, especially around winter, it will allow them to strengthen their defense capabilities. Minister Odobescu reiterated, in turn, Romania’s full support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.