The situation in the Balkans and in the Black Sea is getting more complicated, and the world is slowly moving towards a resurgence of the Cold War. This was stated by the former chief of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army and former chief of defense, Gen. Zlatan Stoykov, in the program “In Focus“ on NOVA.
“Currently, we are slowly moving towards a resurgence of the Cold War. Let's hope they don't allow a Third World War“, said Stoykov. His comment was about the strikes on merchant ships in the Black Sea, the reactions in Bulgaria and the escalation of the war.
Stoykov called for waiting for the evidence
On the topic of the drones used, the general said that the conclusion of the competent authorities should be awaited. According to him, there is still no physical evidence of whose drones they are and whether the ships were hit only with them or with other means.
He added that Bulgaria should not play the role of an accuser. “There are judicial bodies, there is the United Nations, but we need to see the state of our army and what tasks we can and cannot perform“, the former chief of defense pointed out.
Criticism of the rearmament of the army
According to Stoykov, the state of the Bulgarian defense corresponds to the financial resources it has. He stated that the country lost valuable time after 1989, when the issues of transformation, modernization, rearmament, numerical composition and garrisons should have been settled.
“We should now have an army that corresponds to the international situation“, said Stoykov.
He expressed disappointment with the plan for the armed forces, which according to him has been repeatedly revised and changed. According to him, as a result, funding for rearmament with modern means has not been provided.
Sources: nova.bg