Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, leader of the largest political party GERB, have strongly rejected any possibility of sending Bulgarian troops to Ukraine, whether as peacekeepers or in any other capacity, according Euractiv.
President Radev, who serves as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, stated unequivocally, “I am categorically against Bulgaria sending soldiers to Ukraine in any form.”
I expect the government and the National Assembly to state a clear and unambiguous position that Bulgaria will not send troops.
Radev stressed that, given the current instability in global security, Bulgaria should avoid any involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. Throughout his eight years in office, Radev has consistently opposed providing military aid to Kyiv, aligning himself with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on this issue.
The decision to deploy Bulgarian troops abroad requires parliamentary approval, and Boyko Borissov, who has previously supported military aid to Ukraine, changed his mind and firmly ruled out the possibility of sending soldiers.
Bulgarian soldiers on foreign soil will not die and will not participate [in a possible mission to Ukraine].
Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov, leader of the Socialist Party (BSP) and a coalition partner of Borissov, also dismissed the idea of sending troops.
I don’t know what provoked the president to say this, but there is no such hypothesis and no such discussion [about sending troops] in the Council of Ministers.
So far, Bulgaria’s involvement in supporting Ukraine has been limited to participation in the European Union’s training mission for Ukrainian forces, which primarily takes place in Germany and Poland. Meanwhile, Bulgaria’s new government continues to delay the signing of a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine, which was initially expected to be finalised by the end of last year but was blocked by the caretaker government.
When asked about discussions on the possibility of deploying European military units to Ukraine as peacekeepers, the Bulgarian government clarified that no such talks were currently taking place, as there was no peace agreement in place.
Issues concerning the provision of reliable guarantees for the security of Ukraine in accordance with international law and for achieving lasting peace are in the focus of attention of all allies and partners in NATO and the EU, including the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The firm opposition from Bulgarian leaders highlights the country’s cautious approach to the Ukraine conflict and its reluctance to engage in direct military involvement, despite its participation in broader European support efforts.
