site.btaFM Kuleba to Sofia: It Is Time to Make a Choice

Speaking Thursday at the opening of a photo exhibition on the Ukraine war arranged in the Parliament building, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said it is time Bulgaria made up its mind over whether or not it will send military aid to Ukraine. "Dear Bulgarian people, these are hard times but one cannot always be in the middle and a time comes when one has to take a side and take the side of truth. It is time you made a choice," said he.

Asked by the press if he had received a clear answer from Bulgaria about what kind of aid exactly it would be sending to Ukraine, he said he had not. "The Bulgarian government finds it hard to give a clear answer about the kind of aid it will provide to Ukraine," he said.

He added, though, that the position of the government and Parliament to support Ukrainian refugees and the EU prospects of his country is also very important.

"Every day without the aid that Ukraine needs to fight the aggressor, means more civilian victims, more destroyed homes," said Kuleba.

He urged the politicians who "sit in their cozy offices thinking about that in the light of their political interests, to try to think of what is happening in Ukraine at the very same moment and make the right decision."

He went on to say that he heard two key arguments about why Bulgaria should not provide military aid: that not sending military aid supports peace and not the war, and that Ukrainians and Russians are brothers and we don't want to contribute to the war between them. "My answer to those is that the best way to achieve peace is to provide aid to Ukraine because without this aid Russia will commit more atrocities and killings, and will destroy more homes. As for the brotherhood, how could we be brothers when people get killed! How could you consider a brother someone who continues the aggression and destruction even during the Holy Week," Kuleba said.