Bratislava, 7 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The heads of state of nine eastern NATO countries have reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.

At a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Bratislava in preparation for the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, they underlined Ukraine's independence and the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders.

At a press conference at the meeting, Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová, who hosted the meeting, also called on Western allies to unite against the aggressor Russia.

The past year had shown that the best way to restore peace in Europe was intensive assistance for Ukraine, Čaputová asserted.

The Bucharest Nine format, founded in 2015, includes Poland, Romania and Slovakia as well as Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Photo: EPA