Leaders of 14 NATO nations from Eastern and Northern Europe met in Bucharest on Wednesday under the framework of the B9 group (a bloc of nine Central and Eastern European NATO allies formed after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea) to pledge stronger military coordination, higher defence spending, and better protection of critical infrastructure along the alliance's eastern flank. In a joint statement also endorsed by NATO's five Nordic members, the leaders condemned Russian sabotage, cyberattacks, and repeated drone violations of allied airspace, calling for urgent reinforcement of air and missile defences. The summit, attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, also sought to ease transatlantic tensions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara this July, with Zelensky urging Europe to pursue greater defence autonomy.