Bulgaria's newly appointed Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov has said the country will not provide additional military assistance to Ukraine and has called on Moscow and Kyiv to pursue a negotiated end to the conflict.
Speaking on Tuesday while outlining his ministry's priorities, Stoyanov said Bulgaria did not plan to send any further weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces, according to the BTA news agency.
"It is not planned for the Bulgarian side to provide more weapons to the Ukrainian army," Stoyanov said.
He added that the conflict could not be resolved through military means alone and urged both sides to seek a peaceful settlement.
"We have already stated clearly that the war in Ukraine will not be resolved on the battlefield. It is time to seek a just peace that is determined by both sides," he said.
There was no immediate response from Ukrainian officials.
Bulgaria, a member of both NATO and the European Union, occupies a strategic position on the Black Sea and has provided military assistance to Ukraine in recent years.
During 2024 and 2025, Sofia supplied anti-tank missiles, armoured vehicles, mortars, anti-aircraft guns, howitzers and infantry weapons following a policy shift in support of Kyiv.
In contrast, during 2022 and 2023, Bulgaria did not officially export weapons directly to Ukraine. Instead, arms and ammunition were sold to intermediaries, mainly in Europe, with Bulgarian officials maintaining they had no control over the final destination of those exports.
Despite Stoyanov's comments, bilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and Ukraine remains significant.
In March, the two countries signed a 10-year security cooperation agreement covering joint defence production, intelligence sharing and the development of an energy corridor capable of delivering up to 10 billion cubic metres of gas annually to Ukraine.
The agreement was seen as a key step in strengthening long-term strategic ties between Sofia and Kyiv.
Bulgaria's new government was sworn in last month under the leadership of Rumen Radev.
Radev has previously been regarded as holding comparatively pro-Russian views. However, after taking office, he pledged that his administration would continue to pursue policies aligned with the European Union while maintaining Bulgaria's commitments to its international partners.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases...
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 939 on Monday, with 3,044 peo...
At least 11 people, including eight children, have been killed after a powerful explosion at a firecracker fact...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 939 on Monday, with 3,044 people still missing, as fresh rainfall pushed up river levels and forced rescuers to move to higher ground.
Recovery teams are continuing operations in Grand Canyon National Park after flash floods swept through parts of the canyon over the weekend, leaving one person dead and leading to the discovery of a second body that has yet to be recovered.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have formalised their new defensive alliance at the grouping’s first high-level meeting held Monday in Istanbul.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran is not pursuing a military conflict but promised a strong response to 'aggressors' while the Army and Revolutionary Guards said they carried out retaliatory attacks against U.S. bases in the region on Monday.
Kyrgyzstan is hosting the sixth World Nomad Games, bringing together thousands of athletes from around the world for a celebration of traditional sports, cultural heritage and nomadic traditions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment