site.btaBulgaria Plans to Supply More of Its Surplus Military Equipment to Ukraine

Bulgarian Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said on Friday that Bulgaria will supply more of its surplus military equipment to Ukraine. He was speaking to Bulgarian journalists at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on the second and last day of a meeting of Allied defence ministers.

Zapryanov said: "On Monday, I will endorse a proposal by our chief of defence about surplus equipment and materiel which can be used to aid Ukraine without creating any deficits for our Armed Forces in peacetime or for our wartime units. There is a resolution by the Bulgarian National Assembly, and our caretaker government is working for the next package of real aid to Ukraine. We are clear about what more we can contribute."

The defence minister went on to comment: "We continue to help with armaments and materiel from the surplus quantities of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. As for ammunition, we intend to adhere to the logic of replacement and thus replenish our stocks. Our [defence] industry is going full steam, particularly ammunition manufacturing. We are increasing the work shifts. Our defence industry is supplying products to other countries as well, not just Ukraine."

"Aid to Ukraine has never been compulsory, it is a sovereign right of each country," Zapryanov explained. He noted that many NATO member countries favour Ukraine's accession to the bloc. "NATO has no intention of intervening in Ukraine with troops, it does not want to cause the conflict to escalate. It wants peace on fair terms, which means Ukraine should defend its territory. The declaration to discontinue aid is really a present to Putin."

Asked how Bulgaria plans to curb the activities of Russian special service agents, Zapryanov said: "The matter has no pressing relevance". He argued: "Concerning restrictions on diplomats, some countries have doubts about subversion and spying conducted under the disguise of diplomacy, which should be curbed. We have services whose job is precisely that. If they have evidence, any measures can be taken on their proposal. Bulgaria has expelled Russian diplomats for activities inconsistent with their status." The last observation refers to expulsions carried out years ago.