Minister Stoyanov: Bulgaria Stops New Military Aid to Ukraine.

The Bulgarian defence minister Dimitar Stoyanov stated in an interview with bTV that Bulgaria is halting new military aid to Ukraine.

Stoyanov recalled that Bulgaria has already sent 13 packages of military assistance, but the government is strictly complying with the 2022 decision of the National Assembly and is stopping further military aid deliveries. According to him, the document allows assistance only when there is availability on the Bulgarian side, and since taking office he has not received specific requests from Kyiv for new supplies. Vice President Iliana Yotova emphasized that under the parliamentary text, Bulgaria may provide weapons and ammunition to Ukraine only if they are surplus and exceed the needs of the national army.

Yotova said she has full confidence in Defence Minister Stoyanov, who has carried out a detailed review of state reserves. He also stated that Bulgaria remains in good combat readiness and has sufficient resources for its armed forces. Stoyanov added that the suspension of free military aid was not only lost time but also a missed opportunity for projects to be implemented at lower cost and with earlier capability gains.

The suspension of state aid does not affect commercial relations, the minister said after an analysis of the Ministry of Defence. He pointed to delays and increased costs in several modernisation projects of the Bulgarian Army, missed opportunities under the SAFE mechanism, and problems in key infrastructure projects. According to him, the war in Ukraine will not be resolved on the battlefield and a fair peace must be sought through negotiations.

Stoyanov was criticised by the opposition, mainly Democratic Bulgaria and GERB, for what they described as a strategic mistake for Bulgaria.