Defence Minister: Decision on second aid package for Ukraine will be made soon

The second package of military aid that Bulgaria will provide to Ukraine will be similar in volume to the first one, sent after the decision of the National Assembly on December 9 last year, explained Minister of Defence, Todor Tagarev, who together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariya Gabriel, was heard at a closed sitting of the Parliament’s defence and foreign policy committees on June 21. Tagarev pointed out that the decision of the Council of Ministers, by which this aid should become a fact, will be voted very soon.

Tagarev also confirmed the news that Bulgaria will join the EU initiative to provide 1 million 155 mm shells to Ukraine. All this comes amid the news that Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov, not President Rumen Radev, will lead Bulgaria's delegation at the NATO summit in Vilnius.

The government has decided to change an almost 15-year-old tradition, according to which it was the President, not the Prime Minister, who used to lead the country's delegation at NATO summits.

The cabinet's argument is that in mid-July, at the summit in Vilnius, the issues of continued political and practical support for Ukraine will be discussed, which are the priority of the Executive and the competence of the line ministers.

The commitments directly concern the management of state policy in the areas of foreign policy and international relations and defence, the cabinet said.

"The arguments are the constitutional structure of the Republic of Bulgaria. Read what Article 105 says and it is clear," Minister Todor Tagarev said.

According to this paragraph, the Council of Ministers directs and implements the country's domestic and foreign policy, implements public order and national security and carries out the general direction of the administration and the Armed Forces.

"I think there is no room for tension. It is about the fact that Bulgaria has its own regular government, it is a parliamentary republic and it just wants to make its position clear," said Mariya Gabriel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Defence Minister Tagarev said he would meet the President when invited. And he confirmed that Bulgaria will provide a second tranche of aid to Ukraine.

"Comparable in volume and types to the first package, according to this decision. Some things are repeated, there are some new things, but the volume is more or less the same. Do you understand that we are taking out of the warehouses things that are in good condition, have resources, but let's say 30-, 40- and more years old?"

Tagarev explained that there is no discussion of providing basic combat platforms. He also confirmed the news that Bulgaria will join the EU initiative to provide 1 million NATO-standard munitions to Kiev, which enables European investment in the production of such shells in the country. He did not understand the President's words that he was against this.

"I have already admitted that I don't really understand the logic of this argument, because in this case we are talking about investment and European funds in expanding the capacity of our defence industry. As long as we have not missed the opportunity, because Commissioner Thierry Breton came first to Bulgaria, but then he toured other countries, but we said, 'No, we do not want to'. Nobody is waiting for us, the dynamics are exceptional in this area," the Minister said.

The possibilities are that Industrial military manufacturer, VMZ-Sopot will receive money to expand the production of 155 mm shells.