Rumen Radev, leader of the "Progressive Bulgaria" coalition, does not believe that military aid to Ukraine is necessary. He stated this in an interview with bTB on the eve of the early parliamentary elections scheduled for April 19.
“I do not have a pro-Russian position; I have a pro-Bulgarian position, that is, a realistic one. Decisions are being made that are ill-considered and do not take into account their consequences. This is leading both Bulgaria and the European Union to a crisis“, Radev noted.
“In 2023, an initiative was proposed by the EU to provide one million shells to Ukraine, and at that time, at the level of the EU Council, I stated that Bulgaria would not participate in this. The same applies to the issue of financing: whoever wants can pay. We will not interfere, nor will we veto, but I see no point in us paying for this aid“, he said.
Radev also spoke out against security agreements similar to those signed with Ukraine. “I am against such agreements“, he said, adding that they “bring great risks and financial losses for us“. Regarding the agreement signed by Bulgaria in the US for participation in the Peace Council, Radev noted that it “lost its meaning after the start of the war between the US and Iran“.