The Ministry of Defence press service released a statement on Saturday that said that it is alarming that the presidential institution manipulates public opinion with false suggestions about military aid to Ukraine and thus fuels the disinformation campaign being waged against Bulgaria. The statement was in response to Vice President Iliana Iotova and criticized Iotova for misleading the public on Saturday by confusing what Bulgaria is ready to offer to Ukraine with what Ukraine requested from Bulgaria.
The statement continued: "The Ministry of Defence has the full support of the government for the military aid to Ukraine, which was determined by a decision of the National Assembly. The support will absolutely not endanger the combat capability of the Bulgarian army and the capabilities of our country to defend itself. Bulgaria will provide ammunition that is fit for use but is nearing the end of its service life. These supplies exceed the standard levels for wartime stocks and for ensuring the armed forces' normal combat training."
The statement also criticized the Vice President for trying to shake the stability of the government, for instilling fear and for dividing the nation instead of uniting it.
In the village of Balvan, North Central Bulgaria, Iotova said that the criticism to President Rumen Radev and the fire against the Presidential institution are meant to divert the attention of the Bulgarian public to what the Bulgarian government committed to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the meeting on Thursday, which was closed to the media. Iotova said that the meeting between Radev and Zelenskyy was open to the media, while Zelenskyy's meeting with members of the executive was behind closed doors. According to the Vice President, positions expressed by Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and Defence Minister Todor Tagarev suggest that "there is a will to keep something hidden from the Bulgarian people".
/NZ/
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