site.btaDefence Minister: Politicians Should Not Take Populist Approach, Armed Forces Must Be Modernized

Interviewed by Bulgarian National Television on Saturday, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov urged for modernization of the Armed Forces, adding that politicians should not take a populist approach. He argued against attempts to oppose the need to buy new equipment and weapons to the need to pay social benefits.

Stoyanov said he expects Parliament to ratify next week an agreement on opening an account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and an agreement on the acquisition of eight more F-16 fighters for the Bulgarian Air Force. Bulgaria has lost about USD 10 million because the two previous parliaments were dissolved before they ratified the agreement between the Defence Ministry and the Federal Reserve Bank.

The Defence Ministry is working on Parliament's resolution of November 3 which gave the Council of Ministers one month to submit a draft resolution on rendering military and military-technical assistance to Ukraine. "We are preparing a package, including armament, which will be provided to the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) in Poland, which trains Ukrainian troops. A logistical operation for the transportation of equipment and weapons by land and air is being arranged with the NATO Allies. Those assets will be used in the training of Ukrainian personnel in the territory of a NATO Member State as envisaged by the EU mission.

Stoyanov argued for a conservative approach to providing equipment and armament to Ukraine insofar as the Bulgarian Armed Forces must have the materiel needed to perform their constitutional obligations. "We cannot give Ukraine either the S-300 missile systems or the aircraft without guaranteeing Bulgaria's national security first. Let's get rid of the old equipment, only in exchange for new equipment, not for different old equipment," the Defence Minister said.

He rejected political speculation about the preparedness of the Air Force to perform its duties. Talks are underway on the provision of aircraft for the air-policing mission during the transition period, probably until 2029-2030. "There is no need either to retrain Air Force pilots for work in the civil aviation or to pay for the training of the engineering and technical staff. What we need is politicians to ensure that we get the aircraft and flight hours we need to continue guaranteeing the protection of Bulgaria's air sovereignty," the Defence Minister said.

On Land Forces Day, marked on November 19, Stoyanov said he hoped for a political will to finally modernize the Land Forces.