Bulgaria will stop supplying weapons to Ukraine from its own stockpiles, - Prime Minister Radev
Bulgaria is refusing to provide Ukraine with further arms from its military stockpiles and direct financial aid.
According to Censor.NET, citing g4media.ro, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev made this statement.
At the same time, the country will not prevent other EU member states from making their own decisions regarding support for Ukraine.
Bulgaria attributed its refusal to financial difficulties
According to the prime minister, Bulgaria itself is subject to an excessive budget deficit procedure and is also facing difficulties with its financial reserves.
"As for financial assistance, we ourselves are subject to an excessive deficit procedure, and Ms. Ursula von der Leyen has repeatedly asked us to reduce the deficit below the 3% limit," Radev said.
What kind of assistance is Sofia willing to discuss?
At the same time, Bulgaria is prepared to consider mechanisms for financing Ukraine’s humanitarian needs, as well as for providing electricity and medical assistance. However, according to Radev, safeguards must be put in place to ensure that the funds are not used to purchase weapons.
If Bulgaria acts as a guarantor for such aid, the prime minister insists that the funding be directed directly to the Bulgarian community living in a number of regions of Ukraine.
Bulgaria no longer transfers weapons from its military stockpiles
Radev also stated that Bulgaria is no longer supplying Ukraine with weapons and ammunition from its own military stockpiles.
According to him, Bulgarian defense companies exported significant volumes of products in 2022 and 2023, but those figures subsequently declined gradually.
The prime minister attributed this to changing needs on the battlefield: while Ukraine was in dire need of ammunition at the start of the full-scale war, demand has now shifted toward unmanned aerial vehicles.
