Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make his first visit to Bulgaria on Thursday at the invitation of the Bulgarian government in what is considered a sign of appreciation for the country’s military assistance provided to Ukraine so far.
Zelenskyy’s visit is a sign of Bulgaria’s changed foreign policy with the election of the new government, supported by the pro-EU parties GERB, We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria. Until now, Bulgaria sent weapons to Ukraine, but authorities in Sofia hid this from Bulgarian society, using intermediaries for transactions.
Sofia’s position was explained by the presence of the pro-Russian Bulgarian Socialist Party in the government during the first months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The government was then ousted, but the political crisis put power in the hands of President Rumen Radev, who also opposed sending military aid to Kyiv.
Bulgaria’s position changed sharply with the new government’s election at the start of June 2023.
At the end of last week, Bulgarian Defence Minister Todor Tagarev said that military aid to Ukraine would increase this year. The unofficial information in Sofia is that the sending to Ukraine of old ammunition from the warehouses of the Bulgarian army worth over €150 million is being discussed.
On Tuesday, the Committee on Foreign Policy in the Bulgarian Parliament supported a declaration supporting Ukraine’s membership in NATO.
“After the restoration of peace, Ukraine should become a member of NATO. Ukraine needs to get a clear perspective to carry out reforms. The security of Europe and Bulgaria cannot be guaranteed without peace,” commented former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva.
The radical pro-Russian party “Vazrazhdane”, the third force in the Bulgarian parliament, spoke out against the declaration, arguing that it is unclear whether Ukraine will exist after the war.
“Please do not repeat the lies of Russian propaganda. To preserve the international order established after the Second World War. The open door policy must become effective with the military aid we provide to Ukraine,” said GERB MP Daniel Mitov, a former foreign minister.
A few days ago, Zelenskyy’s adviser Mykhailo Podoliak announced in an interview that Bulgaria should be proud of how it helps Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side is expected to announce to the Bulgarian authorities what additional support it needs.
(Krassen Nikolov | EURACTIV.bg)
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