site.btaParliament Debates Bulgarian Assistance for Ukraine

During an extraordinary sitting Wednesday, Parliament will be debating what assistance Bulgaria should provide to Ukraine. The MPs will have three draft resolutions to choose from: two put forward by Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria, both from the government coalition, and one by the opposition GERB-UDF.

All three parties that have proposed resolutions are supportive of sending military assistance for Ukraine. The power-sharing Socialist party have been saying throughout that it would leave the coalition if the government decides on military assistance. Representatives of Continue the Change have said that they are willing to reword their proposal to make sure the resolution does not inflame the Socialists and the coalition is not put to risk.

The matter was apparently discussed at a meeting of the coalition partners late on Tuesday night but no progress was made towards a single decision.

The Continue the Change proposal envisages that Parliament mandates the government to consider and propose a package of measures for overcoming the economic, financial and social consequences from the sanctions, ensuring the security of food supplies and providing technical assistance for defence purposes to Ukraine, as well as humanitarian and financial assistance, in accordance with Ukraine's needs and Bulgaria's capacity.

The Democratic Bulgaria proposal is for mandating the government to provide military-technical assistance to Kyiv. The GERB-UDF proposal, too, envisages military-technical assistance.

As the MPs were going into the morning sitting, protesters outside the Parliament building rallied against military aid for Ukraine. The protest was organized under the slogan "To protect peace and Bulgaria's neutrality!".

In the afternoon, supporters of the opposite position will be rallying in favour of sending military assistance to Kyiv.

In the evening, the Soviet army monument in central Sofia will be wrapped in the national flags of Bulgaria and Ukraine as an act of support for Ukraine.