The Bucharest Nine: Enhancing Security on NATO’s Eastern Flank

The Bucharest Nine (B9) format was established in 2015 in response to the evolving security landscape in Europe, particularly in light of Russia’s military actions against Ukraine, including the illegal annexation of Crimea. The B9 serves two complementary purposes. There is a strategic rationale to enhance collective security and safeguard the interests of the nine participating countries—Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia—through deterrence. There is also a political rationale for the nine to build up their capital within NATO. The format has been instrumental for them to advocate increased defense spending, resilience building, and shaping the alliance’s strategic deterrence on its eastern flank. Since February 2022, the B9’s priorities have included ensuring Ukraine’s survival as an independent state and supporting its closer integration into regional security architecture, including through NATO membership. While the format has been less used in the EU’s decision-making processes, the B9 has aligned itself with Brussels’ post-2022 sanctions regime against Russia.

What characterizes the attitudes of the B9 and its individual members toward regional security? How successful is the format in advocating for the needs of its members? Is it a useful cooperation platform for addressing emerging security concerns in Central and Eastern Europe? How can it contribute to strengthening NATO, and what should be its focus in the near future?

This event will examine the B9’s influence over shaping NATO’s strategic deterrence on its eastern flank, and its priorities and potential regarding enhancing regional security amid Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.
 
We hope that you will be able to join us. To do so, please register by clicking the button above. Information on accessing this online discussion will follow.

Should you have any questions or require accommodations, please contact Monika Dlugosch at [email protected].

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonpartisan policy organization committed to the idea that the United States and Europe are stronger together.