I am sending a parliamentary question to Prime Minister Rumen Radev to clarify exactly what the Bulgarian government's position is on the issue. This was written by the chairman of the parliamentary group (PG) of “We continue the change“ Nikolay Denkov on his Facebook profile, after Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov stated that the government does not envisage providing more weapons to the Ukrainian army.
According to Stoyanov, it is time to sit down at the negotiating table and seek a just peace.
“And should we, if Bulgaria is attacked by an aggressor, surrender immediately in order to have a “just and sustainable peace“, Denkov also wrote.
According to him, two days ago Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova called for effective military support for Ukraine, combined with economic sanctions against Russia and diplomacy. This happened in an interview with a French media outlet, which was widely quoted in our country, he added.
Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced to Bulgarian journalists that Bulgaria is stopping the arms supply to Ukraine. The news was immediately quoted by international media, Denkov also wrote.
If this is some kind of strategy to please everyone, it doesn't work. If ministers in a government don't talk to each other, it's even worse, he commented.
The decision on military aid to Ukraine is not a decision for Ukraine. It is a decision for Bulgaria's place in Europe over the next twenty years, the GERB party stated in a position published on their official Facebook page.
The statement by the Minister of Defense that Bulgaria will no longer provide military aid to Ukraine raises questions that go far beyond the topic of a specific delivery or a specific aid package. It is about the way in which the Bulgarian parliamentary republic functions, the predictability of Bulgarian foreign policy, the trust in Bulgaria as an ally and the protection of Bulgarian national interest, GERB writes.
The party points out that in recent years the National Assembly has repeatedly made decisions to provide military and military-technical assistance to Ukraine. These decisions are part of the official policy of the Bulgarian state. They were adopted by the supreme representative body of Bulgarian citizens and are binding on all state institutions, GERB adds.
The Constitution is clear. The laws and decisions of the National Assembly are binding on all state bodies. A minister cannot change or invalidate a decision of the parliament with a public statement. If there is a political intention to change this policy, the order is clear - a proposal in the National Assembly, an open debate and assuming political responsibility, GERB notes. The party emphasizes that Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic. The strategic course of the state cannot be changed through unilateral statements. Support for Ukraine has never been a matter of emotions or external pressure. It is part of the understanding that the security of Europe and the security of Bulgaria are directly linked, the party writes.
For a country like Bulgaria, international law is not an abstract principle. It is a guarantee that borders cannot be changed by force and that security does not depend solely on the power of the stronger. History shows that sustainable peace is not achieved by weakening the attacked country, but by creating conditions so that aggression does not bring political rewards. Therefore, any proposal to change the current policy should be subject to serious public, political and strategic debate, GERB believes.
In their position, GERB writes that today Europe is entering a new stage in the development of its security. Decisions are being made on common defense capabilities, joint investments, industrial projects, cybersecurity and modernization of the armed forces. Hundreds of billions of euros will be directed to the defense industry, high technologies and security-related industries. This is not just a matter of defense. This is a matter of economy, industry, jobs, technology and political influence, they add.
Bulgaria has a defense industry with traditions and potential. In the coming years, European countries will invest unprecedented funds in the production of ammunition, air defense systems, unmanned technologies, cybersecurity and modernization of military infrastructure. Bulgarian enterprises have a real opportunity to be part of these production and supply chains. This means new investments, modernization of enterprises, highly qualified jobs and higher competitiveness of Bulgarian industry, say GERB.
Bulgaria has an interest in being a participant in these processes, not an observer. History shows that countries that participate in the formation of new economic and technological realities gain influence, investments and development. The rest pay the price of decisions made by others, the party stated.
GERB has consistently defended the position that any assistance to Ukraine must be tailored to the real needs of the Bulgarian Army and not weaken the country's defense capabilities. But support for Ukraine and the modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces are not opposing goals. They can and must go together. Bulgaria's national interest lies in a strong Bulgarian Army, reliable membership in NATO and the European Union, a stable Black Sea region, participation in European defense investments and protection of the principle that borders in Europe cannot be changed by force, the party also noted.