Caretaker PM Glavchev met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

NATO has not asked Bulgaria to extend military aid to Ukraine, caretaker Prime Minister, Dimitar Glavchev, said after a face-to-face meeting with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, on May 27.

There can be no alternative to aid to Ukraine, Glavchev said, adding that Stoltenberg had stressed that support for Kiev should be done with the thought of not involving NATO in the conflict.

According to Jens Stoltenberg, striking military targets outside Ukraine is legitimate and NATO partners should be careful when imposing restrictions on the use of weapons they donate, lest Ukraine find itself unable to defend itself.

The next NATO meeting in Washington will discuss the idea of the alliance playing a greater coordinating role in aid to Kiev.

"Bulgaria is giving unprecedented assistance to Ukraine. When the war started, Russia wanted to take over Ukraine in a few weeks and wanted 50% of Ukraine's territory at the start of the war to be Russian. Ukraine resisted the Russian aggressors, but what we are doing is objectively seen not to be enough. Our support must be more coordinated and we must continue in the same spirit. NATO must have a greater role in coordinating this aid. At the meeting in Washington, we need to agree on a greater coordinating role for NATO in assistance to Ukraine; there needs to be greater accountability and a more institutionalised framework for our support so that we make promises that can be kept.

We support Ukraine not only because of the tragedy of the Ukrainian people. We want Ukraine to win, otherwise it is a danger for us as well. Putin must know that it is in our security interests to support Ukraine. That is why we expect NATO leaders to continue supporting Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.

The issue of sending Bulgarian soldiers to Ukraine is a typical example of a hybrid attack and disinformation, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said after the meeting with Stoltenberg.

"Such a topic has never been discussed in the NATO format, and it is not discussed today. So Bulgarian citizens can be calm - there is no topic of sending Bulgarian soldiers to Ukraine," Glavchev assured.

The two also discussed the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria's membership in NATO. Stoltenberg pointed out that Bulgaria is a reliable ally, pointing out that the country has already achieved the target of spending 2% of its GDP on defence.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is in Bulgaria for the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which is taking place in Sofia. Parliamentarians from 32 NATO member states are taking part in the forum.

NATO Parliamentary Assembly adopted a declaration of support for Ukraine until victory