The statement was made during the Bucharest Nine (B9) meeting in Riga, co-chaired by Polish President Andrzej Duda, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
"We are seriously concerned about Russia's recent malicious hybrid attacks on Allied territory, posing a threat to NATO's security," the leaders announced.
The communiqué highlighted an escalating campaign of Russian activities in the Euro-Atlantic area, including sabotage, acts of violence, cyber and electronic interference, border provocations, disinformation campaigns, and other hybrid operations.
"We will individually and collectively respond to these actions, increase our resilience, and continue close coordination to ensure the readiness of the Alliance and its members to deter and defend against hybrid actions or attacks," the statement read.
The leaders emphasized that Russia remains the greatest and most immediate threat to NATO, and reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognized borders.
The B9 summit in Riga brought together leaders from NATO's eastern border countries, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and representatives from new allies Sweden and Finland also attended the meeting.
The B9 is an informal platform for cooperation between NATO's eastern flank countries, established in 2015 in Bucharest at the initiative of the presidents of Poland and Romania.
(jh)
Source: IAR, PAP