Volodymyr Zelensky handed over a list of armaments and ammunition needed by the Ukrainian army during his visit to Bulgaria yesterday. This was stated by the Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev before an extraordinary meeting of the Defense Committee early this morning in the Parliament.
When asked if Zelensky asked for air defense systems, heavy armored vehicles, coastal missile complexes, Tagarev answered: “Everything, without aircraft.”
According to him, calculations are currently being made as to how Kyiv’s request can be fulfilled.
So far, Bulgaria has sent one humanitarian and one military-technical aid packages, with a second military-technical aid package in an advanced stage.
If Zelensky’s request is granted, it will be the third in a row. Bulgaria also declares its readiness to participate in the European initiative to provide artillery shells to Ukraine.
“Bulgaria will not hand over to Ukraine anything that would threaten the security of our country”. This was stated by Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov in a comment on the military aid that Bulgaria is preparing to provide to Kyiv. He pointed out that only possibilities were discussed with the Ukrainian delegation yesterday in which Bulgaria would feel protected all the time.
“When Bulgaria receives the F-16 fighters, it will also need another type of air defense”, Prime Minister Denkov confirmed, adding that this type of transition in armaments would take months and years, and Ukraine needs quick solutions now.
“Yesterday’s visit of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, is related to the support he is seeking for Kyiv’s accession to NATO at the right time, as it is clear that this cannot happen now”, Nikolay Denkov also said.
“The visit showed everyone that people should ask themselves what it means to be a patriot – is a patriot the one who defends his homeland and who does everything possible to protect the borders and the people, or would a patriot be the one who says: ‘Come, take the territory, then you can continue further’. I have been thinking this for a long time”, pointed out Denkov.