At a meeting in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said Bulgaria’s defence spending for 2023 would be slightly under 1.9% of the GDP, and will reach 2%, as required by the EU, in 2024.

• Premier Nikolay Denkov takes part in European Council meeting in Brussels
  

“Your country plays an important role in our collective response. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Bulgaria has participated actively in NATO’s deterrence and defence in the Black Sea region,” Jens Stoltenberg on his part said. “You host one of NATO’s multinational battlegroups, led by Italy. And your naval forces help to secure the Black Sea, as part of NATO patrols. In the Western Balkans, Bulgarian troops play a key role in our KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. (…) All of these contributions to the Alliance are valued and appreciated. To keep Bulgaria safe, NATO continues to provide strong deterrence and defence in your region. On land, at sea, and in the air. NATO will continue to support and defend Bulgaria. (…) We have also agreed a new rotational model for air and missile defence. So that we can move quickly from air policing to air defence, if needed,” Jens Stoltenberg said, and added “…I count on Bulgaria to commit to the more ambitious defence investment pledge that we will agree at the Summit.”