hello, everyone. i m biannabianna. this morning, the president met with the leaders of the bucharest nine in warsaw, poland. that s the group of nato countries closest to russia s borders. biden praised the leaders for their continued potter soft ukraine ahead of the one-year anniversary of russia s invasion. as nato s eastern flank, you re the front lines of our collective defense. and you know better than anyone what s at stake in this conflict. not just for ukraine, but for the freedom of democracies throughout european and around the world. cnn s chief white house correspondent, phil mattingly is in warsaw. so, phil, what was the outcome of president biden s meeting there with the warsaw nine? i m sorry, the bucharest nine? you know, bianna, this was a 72-hour period full of clear symbolism, dramatic moments. this meeting was also critically important. it wasn t something that was going to draw a massive headlines, but the president s reassurance, commitment, and
in the next steps we can take together. and to keep our alliance strong and to further deter aggression. because what s literally at stake is not just ukraine, it s fre freedom. obviously, at the heart of the nato alliance is article v, an attack that any one member would be an attack on all. that s what the president is making clear, the u.s. stands very firmly and steadfastly behind. but his illusion to the fact that there is significant number of issues to discuss about the path forward. a very uncertain path, certainly an arduous path, as you look at a war that shows no signs of ending or decelerating anytime soon. these countries are critical not just for their assistance on both defense and humanitarian aid over the course of the last 11, almost 12 months, at this point, but also because they serve as frontline defense for not just nato, but also places where american and nato troops are, weapons systems, as well, and have asked for more of both.