site.btaUPDATED Bulgaria to Offer EUR 80 Mln for Ukraine at NATO's Washington Summit

At NATO's Washington Summit between July 9 and 11, Bulgaria will offer an indicative amount of EUR 80 million for Ukraine, but it cannot be provided until after the National Assembly approves such an allocation in the annual State Budget Act, Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said on Friday. Glavchev, who will lead the national delegation to the meeting, said the amount has been included in the Bulgarian position for Washington and is subject to discussion.

"There is no way that the Bulgarian government becomes a perpetual donor, because the resources should be allocated in the state budget and approved by the MPs, to say the least," Glavchev said. He was commenting on a remark by President Rumen Radev, who said on Thursday that he cannot accept to see the government turn Bulgaria into a "perpetual donor for the war in Ukraine, until ultimate victory".

Glavchev said: "Bulgaria cannot be a donor, perpetual or otherwise, unless its MPs approve the resources to be donated."

Reacting to GERB leader Boyko Borissov's words that Bulgaria will not give cash to Ukraine, Glavchev said the money named in the Bulgarian position for the NATO Summit will be refunded to Sofia eventually. The position specifies how the money is to be used: it will go towards military-technical, humanitarian and political assistance.

"I promise that the Bulgarian delegation to Washington will not go beyond the resolutions of our National Assembly," the Prime Minister said. He confirmed that Bulgaria will not send troops to Ukraine.

Glavchev said he is considering proposing peace talks to be mediated by Bulgaria.