“Being a country from the Coalition of the Willing format, Bulgaria will adhere to the National Assembly decision and will not send troops to Ukraine,” Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said late last night. At a joint briefing with European Council President Antonio Costa, who arrived in Bulgaria last night after taking part in the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, PM Zhelyaskov was categorical that Bulgaria will contribute to the security of Ukraine but without sending Bulgarian soldiers. “The strategy regarding the Black Sea initiated by Bulgaria and Romania is especially important to us,” said Rosen Zhelyazkov and added that Bulgaria was planning to invest in key military capabilities. “This country is working jointly with other member countries to acquire defence systems, especially air defence, anti-missile defence, artillery and drones,” the Bulgarian PM said.

On his part, European Council President Antonio Costa said that each country will decide for itself, depending on its constitutional rules, how to take part exactly – whether with “boots on the ground”, in the Black Sea, or “planes in the sky” and added that financial support would be provided by the EU, and that the training and recuperation mission for the Ukrainian forces would be expanded and Ukraine’s defence industry – supported. The biggest security guarantee the EU can provide Ukraine with is accession to the EU. Costa’s visit is part of a tour of EU capitals aimed at an exchange of opinion among the state and government leaders on EU affairs.

Rosen Zhelyazkov and Antonio Costa also discussed EU enlargement towards the countries of the Western Balkans which Costa described as the biggest geopolitical investment.

As to Bulgaria’s imminent accession to the Eurozone, PM Zhelyazkov stated Bulgaria wanted the approach to be balanced.

Edited by Darina Grigorova
Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Photos: BTA