NATO chief, Volodymyr Zelensky to attend B9 Summit in Bucharest this week

Romanian president Nicușor Dan will host the Summit of the Bucharest Nine (B9) Format and the Nordic countries this Wednesday, May 13, at the Cotroceni Palace, bringing together senior NATO, European, and Ukrainian officials for talks on regional security and defense cooperation. The summit comes amid continued concerns over Russia’s war in Ukraine and broader efforts to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and transatlantic coordination.

The event will be co-chaired by Nicușor Dan and Polish president Karol Nawrocki under the theme “Delivering More for Transatlantic Security,” according to Romania’s Presidential Administration.

Among the participants expected in Bucharest are NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside the presidents of Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovakia, and Finland.

Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen will also attend, together with Sweden’s defense minister, Norway’s foreign minister, senior Icelandic officials, representatives from Bulgaria and Hungary, and US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno.

According to the official agenda, heads of delegations will arrive at the presidential Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest starting at 10:30 a.m., followed by the opening plenary session at 11 a.m., where Nicușor Dan and Karol Nawrocki will deliver opening remarks.

The summit will also include a family photo session, a working lunch, and joint press statements by Nicușor Dan, Karol Nawrocki, and Mark Rutte.

The Bucharest Nine format was initiated in 2015 by Romania and Poland to coordinate the security interests of NATO’s eastern member states following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Since 2025, the Nordic countries have also joined the high-level meetings in this format.

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)