Radev rejects Macron's invitation to join Coalition of the Willing.

President Rumen Radev said Bulgaria will not join a coalition advocating military aid for Ukraine, stressing that decisions related to collective security are made within the European Union and NATO.

Radev made the remarks in Paris, where he is attending the military parade marking France's national holiday. Bulgarian guards are also taking part in the parade.

According to the president, Bulgaria does not provide military aid because the solution to the conflict lies not in prolonging it through military means but in strong diplomatic efforts. He said numerous proposals and ideas had been discussed, but decisions are made within a different framework in which Bulgaria actively participates. Regarding the new missile defense coalition, Radev stated that issues of collective security are resolved within NATO and the European Union.

Radev also said Bulgaria had insisted on removing an individual from the EU sanctions list against Russia because the person is linked to the safe operation of the Sofia Metro. He noted that, for the first time, Bulgaria had openly defended its national interest and that there is nothing unusual about a country doing so. The individual was subsequently removed from the sanctions list.

The president also commented on the flights of DPS leader Delyan Peevski, saying there had been no compliance with the sanctions imposed on him under the U.S. Magnitsky Act in Bulgaria. He added that Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev had presented evidence supporting that claim.