Summit of the the B9: Hungary plays active role in strengthening NATO’s eastern flank

Hungary plays an active role in strengthening the eastern flank of NATO, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, the defence minister, said at a summit of the the Bucharest Nine (B9) group and the Nordics in Vilnius on Monday.

At the meeting focused on the Russia-Ukraine war, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the allies needed to refrain from any steps that might hinder the success of the United States’ peace efforts or could lead to an escalation of the conflict.

The meeting also touched on regional security, strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and increasing defence investments. Eastern NATO countries had been under serious pressure since the start of the war in Ukraine to bolster their defences in response to the threat to their east, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said, according to a ministry statement.

He said that as a credible ally, Hungary made “outstanding efforts” relative to its size and opportunities to contribute to NATO’s activities.

Monday’s summit of the presidents of the Bucharest Nine comprising Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia and the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Iceland Norway and Sweden) was held in preparation for the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague. The defence minister represented Hungary on behalf of President Tamás Sulyok.

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