site.btaIf Anyone Approves Weapons Supply to Ukraine, They Must Explain the Risks, Says President Radev

President Rumen Radev called for solidarity with the Ukrainian people during an interview with the press here Friday. He proceeded to state that “anyone who makes the decision to provide weapons [to Ukraine], thus involving Bulgaria in the war, would have to be able to face the nation and explain the risks,” and added that the price is always paid by the people rather than their politicians.

A potential air-defence systems supply from Bulgaria to Ukraine will be discussed with the US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin, who is visiting this country on Friday and Saturday. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Armed Forces Rumen Radev believes that a potential decision to provide Ukraine with air-defence systems must first be approved by the National Assembly.

“Our main goal is to not allow Bulgarian citizens, our sites of strategic importance such as our nuclear power plant to be left without adequate surface-to-air missiles coverage, without adequate air defence,” the President said. He pointed to other countries, which recently saw armed drones falling on their territories, and said that the same thing must be avoided here.

Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, who was also in the Stara Zagora region, said that sending weapons to Ukraine “cannot be a decision taken by the Prime Minister or the Council of Ministers [alone], but consensus must be achieved”. He added that so far no one from the US side has approached him requesting weapons. “NATO must be coordinated while working on the Eastern flank, so that the countries there can be safe. No one is going to any war. Right now, Bulgaria is offering absolute support to Ukraine, we will send humanitarian aid, [we will] welcome the refugees.”