Published on •Updated
Bulgaria will no longer provide weapons from its army stocks to Ukraine, the country’s prime minister said on Wednesday, calling for “the pursuit of a diplomatic solution” to end the war.
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While the country’s defence industry is set to remain one of the main suppliers of ammunition destined for Kyiv, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the government was “putting an end to the provision of weapons from the Bulgarian army to Ukraine.”
“We have already given enough, while our country continues to suffer socio-economic damage from this bloody war,” he told the media before a cabinet meeting.
Radev, who is perceived as Russia friendly and has called for dialogue with Moscow, took office in May after his party won a majority in parliamentary elections.
He said on Wednesday that he was “convinced that a peaceful solution (to the Ukraine war) will not be achieved by military means.”
“That is why we once again call for a comprehensive and realistic approach to this war and for the pursuit of a diplomatic solution,” he added.
Radev’s comments echo those of the country’s Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov who said on Tuesday that the war would not be resolved on the battlefield.
“What we are witnessing is a war of attrition, and no matter how much weaponry is amassed, its only result is the loss of human lives,” he said.
“Ukraine needs more people, not more weapons. It has enough weapons, so we do not envisage providing more weapons to the Ukrainian army.”
Bulgaria, which is member of NATO and the European Union, has been providing military aid Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The shipments of mostly Soviet-era weaponry played an important role at the early stages of the war. Due to political controversies at home the shipments had been made mainly through third countries.
Stoyanov said it was time to sit down at the negotiating table “to seek a just peace that is defined by both sides.”
“Of course, the role of the EU is extremely important,” he said, adding that “it would be difficult to assign this role to that of a mediator for the simple reason that the EU has also assisted Ukraine in its efforts in this war anyway.”
Stoyanov also announced Bulgaria plans to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2030.
Bulgaria has supplied Ukraine with arms from Bulgarian army stocks, including air-defence and surface-to-air missiles, for which it was compensated through the EU’s European Peace Facility fund.
While several Bulgarian governments have emphasised their reluctance to deliver weapons directly to Ukraine, the country’s defence industry is one of the main suppliers of ammunition destined for Kyiv.
The centre-right GERB party headed by Boyko Borissov, a former prime minister, has criticised the plans to stop providing military aid to Ukraine, saying this was eroding “trust in Bulgaria as an ally.”
Additional sources • AP, AFP
