On Wednesday (13 May 2026), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte participated in the Bucharest Nine (B9) and Nordic Allies Summit, co-hosted by President Nicușor Dan of Romania and President Karol Nawrocki of Poland.
The Secretary General said the gathering of NATO Allies, from the Black Sea to the Arctic, "demonstrates our unity and determination to stand together, and to defend against any threat, from any direction."
In the run up to the NATO Summit in Ankara this July, Mr Rutte emphasised the need for "a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO, through increased defence spending and defence production, and with European Allies taking more responsibility for their own conventional defence, backed by American power."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined today's meeting in Bucharest to discuss what more can be done to help Ukraine defend against Russian aggression. The Secretary General urged more support through NATO's PURL initiative, which continues to provide American military equipment to Ukraine, paid for by Allies and partners.
