site.btaMPs to Debate Joint Declaration against Sending Bulgarian Troops to Ukraine

The ruling majority got together on Thursday and prepared a draft declaration opposing the deployment of Bulgarian soldiers to the front in Ukraine, Stanislav Balabanov, Deputy Floor Leader of There Is Such a People (TISP), told reporters. TISP, GERB-UDF and BSP-United Left presented the draft declaration, which is to be debated by the Foreign Policy Committee later in the day.

Balabanov said a draft declaration would be the right document for the National Assembly to adopt, as opposed to a draft resolution since there is no request from the Council of Ministers.

He said that only the National Assembly has the authority to make such a decision. The declaration was prompted by a questionnaire in which the US asked European Allies how many troops and capabilities they could deploy in Ukraine as security guarantees to end the war. The document sparked broad public interest and concern over a possible involvement of Bulgarian military personnel in Ukraine in any form. Furthermore, the declaration obliges the National Assembly to prevent the Council of Ministers from initiating any such actions, Balabanov said.

Hristo Gadzhev MP of GERB-UDF said that all parliamentary groups clearly oppose the deployment of Bulgarian personnel in an armed conflict. He stressed it is high time this stance was confirmed by Parliament through an official document because some politicians keep playing on people's fears.

Galin Durev MP of BSP-United Left commented that their consistent position had been to seek a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Ukraine. He expressed strong support for the declaration and a hope that peace negotiations will begin as soon as possible.

Pavela Mitova MP of TISP explained the declaration was intended to reassure the Bulgarian public amid rising concerns that Bulgarian troops might be deployed. Therefore, being a guarantor of national sovereignty, the National Assembly must issue such a declaration, she added.

Asked to comment on GERB leader Boyko Borissov's statement that he would stick to the coalition agreement until January 1, 2026 and Bulgaria's entry in the eurozone, Balabanov said the Joint Governance Council is based on the principle of communication among the coalition partners where debates and disputes arise, but all decisions are made collectively.

Balabanov added that the government's future depends on the common ground among all participants and the implementation of the coalition agreement and the future governance programme. If commitments are not met, TISP has already demonstrated what they do in such cases, he said.