The NATO summit in Ankara this July should demonstrate the alliance’s political unity and military strength in the face of security threats from Russia, Polish President Karol Nawrocki has said.
Speaking after a Bucharest Nine summit in Romania, Nawrocki said allied leaders had held constructive talks ahead of the July 7-8 NATO summit in Türkiye, according to Romanian state news agency Agerpres.
“The Ankara summit, in our shared view, should demonstrate — and will demonstrate — the alliance’s political unity and military strength in addressing the threats posed by the Russian Federation,” he said.
Nawrocki said Russia was seeking to rebuild its spheres of influence, undermine NATO cohesion and weaken the sovereignty and democracy of countries in the region.
The Polish president said cooperation within the Bucharest Nine format remained strong and supported closer coordination with Nordic allies, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark.
He said such cooperation would strengthen NATO’s eastern flank “from the Arctic to the Black Sea.”
Nawrocki said the summit declaration reaffirmed commitments to raise defense spending and take firm measures against Russian aggression.
He added that allies hoped to send a strong message from Ankara on accelerating defense spending, saying commitments made at the previous NATO summit in The Hague should be treated as a step toward broader goals.
Nawrocki also emphasized the importance of transatlantic ties, saying leaders agreed that “there is no NATO without the United States.”
Strong cooperation between Europe and the United States remains essential for regional security, he said.
The next Bucharest Nine summit will be hosted in Warsaw, Nawrocki added.
