Bulgaria promises to increase military aid to Ukraine, - Bloomberg
The new Bulgarian government will try to eliminate intermediaries in the supply of weapons to Ukraine in order to strengthen military support for Kyiv, departing from the position of previous governments and the country’s president.
This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to Bloomberg.
Previously, weapons - and especially ammunition for Soviet-made artillery installations - entered the Armed Forces, but through third countries, - the publication notes.
"Only children who never watch TV do not understand that we export ammunition for Ukraine. It was done semi-secretly, intermediaries were needed," Defense Minister Todor Tagarev, who took office three weeks ago, told reporters on Tuesday.
He added that allies who use intermediaries when purchasing from Bulgarian companies can continue to do so, but Bulgaria will also conclude contracts directly with Ukraine.
"When it comes to sales that are paid for with Ukrainian funds that go to the Ukrainian army, we will try to work directly, because the involvement of intermediaries puts us in a gray zone that carries risks," Tagarev said.
Bulgaria is also seeking to join other EU countries in joint procurement of ammunition, as well as find EU funding to modernize its state-owned factories so they can produce weapons that meet modern NATO standards.
"Ukraine continues to need international support," Tagarev said. "Without it, it is unclear what will happen, and I believe that we should not take risks to see what will happen," Tagarev summarized.
