Due to problems with its state reserves, Bulgaria cannot provide financial aid to Ukraine; however, it will not prevent other EU countries from providing such support, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.
“We have problems with the country’s reserves. In this situation, we cannot provide financial aid, but we certainly will not stand in the way of decisions made by other member states,” Radev said at a press conference in Dublin on Friday, according to Bulgarian National Television (BNT).
The prime minister also stated that Bulgaria no longer supplies weapons and ammunition from the warehouses of its Armed Forces. At the same time, he said, exports of products from Bulgarian defense companies to Ukraine are gradually decreasing compared to 2022–2023.
“We no longer supply weapons or ammunition from the depots of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. I made this clear as soon as our government took office. So let’s be clear. Bulgarian defense companies are not selling their products to Ukraine, but to their commercial partners in other countries. They are not selling them directly to Ukraine. As journalists, you can investigate where these weapons end up and how they are ultimately delivered,” the prime minister said.
He also emphasized that Bulgaria supports efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine and welcomes the negotiations taking place with U.S. participation. According to him, the United States has sufficient leverage to bring both sides to the negotiating table.
“Our position is clear—we support all efforts to achieve peace. I do not accept the imposition of peace through force because, as we saw a year and a half ago when I spoke about this, it will only lead to more casualties, greater destruction, and further escalation of the conflict, which now poses a risk not only to Europe but to the entire world,” he noted.
Radev added that Bulgaria does not support the deployment of military units on Ukrainian territory as part of the Coalition of the Willing. According to him, the country’s parliament has decided that Bulgarian troops will not participate in such missions.
