Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with the Bucharest Nine (B9) group of eastern flank NATO Allies. The Secretary and Foreign Ministers including Jan Lipavsky from the Czech Republic discussed Russia’s destabilizing military buildup along Ukraine’s border; the need for a united, ready, and resolute NATO stance for the collective defense of Allies; and transatlantic cooperation on issues of shared concern. The Secretary stressed the U.S. commitment to continued close consultation and coordination with all of our Transatlantic Allies and partners as we work toward de-escalation through deterrence, defense, and dialogue. They also highlighted their solidarity with Lithuania in the face of escalating political pressure and economic coercion by the People’s Republic of China. The Secretary underscored the United States’ unwavering commitment to Transatlantic security and to NATO’s Article 5.
Ned Price
Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State
Joining the call were the following senior officials:
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský
Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau
Romanian Deputy Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu
Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok
