Bulgaria not to send troops to Ukraine - defense chief
That’s according to Tagarev’s interview with bTV, Ukrinform reports, referring to BTA.
On Wednesday morning, Tagarev assured that Bulgaria would not be sending its troops to Ukraine so the country’s position in this regard has never changed, adding that the issue of putting soldiers on the ground is not on the table. Tagarev's statement came after a Paris meeting of leaders, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, during which the latter did not rule out the participation of European troops in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
According to Tagarev, at the meeting in France, decisions were made regarding a number of coalitions in support of Ukraine.
"We have expressed a willingness to get involved in some of them, it's about helping the Ukrainian defence industry so that a large part of what Ukraine needs can be produced there as well. Another issue was about supporting vulnerable partner countries so that they can be better protected against aggressive Russian actions," Tagarev said.
He also commented on the provision of military aid to Ukraine and the pace of its delivery, assuring that it is “in progress”. The process of transferring the batch of armored personnel carriers vowed by Bulgaria has been delayed because the equipment belongs to the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as due to the veto of the country's President Rumen Radev, which was tackled in December, Tagarev said.
"The dispatch of equipment is not an easy process and in quite a few cases it takes months," the minister added.
According to novinite.com, Tagarev said the promised armored personnel carriers would arrive in Ukraine from Sofia "within a few days." The head of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense said that, once the armored personnel carriers are sent, the ministry will deliver the relevant update.
"These APCs are not a large part of the aid (to Ukraine - ed.)," Tagarev assured.
As reported earlier, Bulgaria is delaying the delivery of 100 armored personnel carriers for the needs of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, as the Ministry of Defense has requested that NATO cover transportation costs.
Photo: Tsvetelina Belutova
