NATO eastern flank members, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, are calling for increased US military presence in the region in light of the upcoming alliance summit in Vilnius in July. The ministers have reiterated their calls for boosting the defence capabilities of the region, which borders war-torn Ukraine. Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has stated that “we need to work to grow the US presence in our region on the eastern flank in terms of troops and equipment.” The B9 countries have also pledged further support for Ukraine in fending off Russia’s invasion. Aurescu has called for “more air defence, more anti-missile capacities on our territories… more surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence means.” The ministers have emphasised the importance of projecting strong deterrence as far as Russia’s destabilising and assertive conduct is concerned.
