On Friday, October 14, the head of the Polish Ministry of Defense participated in the meeting of B9 defense ministers, which was attended also by the U.S. Secretary of Defense. It was devoted to the security situation on NATO's eastern flank, aiding Ukraine and the armed forces’ modernization.

The Deputy Prime Minister underscored American involvement in shaping the security of NATO's eastern flank:

"It is about the Command of the 5th Corps of the US Army. The American troops on the entire NATO’s eastern flank are commanded from Poland, Poznań to be precise, and beyond any doubt, this is our common success. I invited Secretary Austin to pay a visit to Poland, so we are looking forward to a convenient date to further discuss security issues concerning the entire eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance"

- said Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak.

The head of the Ministry of National Defense also stressed the increasing and significant role that Poland plays in the structures of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance:

"I would like to add that the position of Poland in the North Atlantic Alliance is continuously increasing, it is stronger, as proved by the fact, which perhaps did not sound as it should have, that it is the Polish general who was the representative to NATO and the European Union, General Adamczak, took over the position of Director-General of NATO military headquarters. With me here today is General Sławomir Wojciechowski, who already performs his duties as Poland's representative to NATO and the EU. These instances signal the growing importance of Poland in NATO, both on its eastern flank and the entire Alliance"

- said Deputy Prime Minister Błaszczak

The talks addressed also the issue of the Nord Stream pipelines’ leaks in the Baltic Sea. As Minister Błaszczak said, they were not accidental.

"We talked primarily about the situation in Ukraine and the lessons to be learned from the war in Ukraine. We have an understanding that ensuring the security of critical infrastructure has paramount significance. That is beyond any doubt. The events that took place in the Baltic sea, the explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, were not coincidental. "

- said the head of the Ministry of Defense.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that Poland is among the eight Alliance countries that spend over 2 percent of GDP on defense:

"We are in eight countries that exceed the scale of expenditure by over 2% of GDP, and this obviously is a consequence of our efforts to strengthen the Polish Armed Forces. We care about the security of our country and whole region, and we are solidary with our allies. Polish contribution to the security of the entire NATO’s eastern flank is highly appreciated "

- summarized Deputy Prime Minister.

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The cooperation in the Bucharest Nine format was initiated in 2014. It is co-chaired by Poland and Romania. Meetings are held at various levels (presidents, ministers of foreign affairs and defense). B9's activity focuses on issues related to threats to NATO's eastern flank, methods of combating them, and seeking opportunities for cooperation between the countries of the region.

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CO-CHAIRS STATEMENT BUCHAREST 9 FORMAT DEFENCE MINISTERS MEETING (Brussels, 14 October 2022)

1.  We, the Defence Ministers of Poland and Romania co-chaired the Bucharest 9 meeting, with the participation of U.S. Secretary of Defense and NATO Secretary General, on the margins of the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting. We shared our common concerns regarding the current security situation and the implications of the recent escalatory actions of the Russian Federation, like its partial military mobilization process and the illegal and illegitimate annexation of Ukrainian territories, and condemned the mass bombardments carried out by Russia, as it was also highlighted in the Joint Statement of the Bucharest Nine Presidents supported by Presidents of North Macedonia and Montenegro, on October 11, 2022.

2.  Following the B9 Summit in Bucharest and the NATO Summit in Madrid, this year, the B9 format has been continuously active to support NATO and EU decisions, including those referring to the assistance for our brave Ukrainian partner. The B9 countries remain resolute in providing political and practical support to Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s aggression. We call on all members of NATO, the EU and “like minded” partners to further contribute to this crucial and urgent effort.

3.  We are committed to continue to implement the Madrid NATO Summit’s decisions regarding the strengthening of NATO’s deterrence and defence posture on the Eastern Flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, as well as its long-term adaptation. We count on Allies to further implement their commitments and to deploy additional robust in-place combat-ready forces on the Eastern Flank, to be scaled up from the existing battlegroups to brigade-size units where and when required, underpinned by credible rapidly available reinforcements, prepositioned equipment, and enhanced command and control. The operationalization of the new Battle Groups remains a high priority, in order to provide a credible, coherent and integrated allied posture. To achieve a credible deterrence and defence posture, the transatlantic bond remains indispensable.