Zelensky discusses in Bulgaria the delivery of weapons and Ukraine's Atlantic hopes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Bulgaria on Thursday to discuss his country's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and expedite the acquisition of weapons from the country, which is a major producer of ammunition.

Zelensky departed in the afternoon and is expected to arrive in Prague before heading to Istanbul on Friday.

Together with the newly appointed Bulgarian Prime Minister, Nikolay Denkov, who has publicly expressed support for Kyiv, Zelensky stated, "We are grateful for Bulgaria's support."

Among the topics discussed during the brief visit were "defense support, Ukraine's accession to the European Union and NATO, the NATO Summit, and security guarantees," according to Zelensky's statement on Telegram.

A "joint statement" supporting Kyiv's accession to NATO was signed ahead of the Vilnius Summit scheduled for July 11-12.

Zelensky stated that he came to Sofia to address the "weapon shortage."

He reiterated that the slow delivery operations delayed Kyiv's counteroffensive, allowing Moscow to bolster its defenses in the occupied areas, particularly through mine planting.

He emphasized that "the enthusiasm of our partners must remain as it is," otherwise "we lose the initiative on the battlefield."

Zelensky responded to Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who strongly opposed sending military aid due to fear of escalation, by stating that it is about "self-defense" to prevent the war from spreading to the rest of Europe.

Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and NATO but has historically maintained close cultural and historical ties with Moscow. It is deeply divided on the issue of military support.
However, in practice, weapons factories dating back to the communist era have been operating at full capacity since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Last year, Bulgarian defense industry exports reached approximately four billion euros, according to estimates, which is three times higher than the previous record set in 2017.

So far, deliveries have been made through third countries, a solution adopted by former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov at the beginning of the conflict.

Recently, Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Mykhailo Podoliak stated on Bulgarian television channel "Nova," "Most of what we received in the early days of the conflict came from our Bulgarian partners."

On the Russian side, the Kremlin criticized this visit, viewing it as an attempt by Kyiv to "drag more countries" into the conflict in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated to journalists, "Many countries have already become directly or indirectly involved in this conflict. This issue will be discussed with Bulgaria."

Sofia and Kyiv also agreed to cooperate in the energy sector, and Bulgaria offered to sell two nuclear reactors to Ukraine that it had previously requested from Russia in a now abandoned project.

After Prague, Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Friday, marking his first visit to Turkey since the start of the war.

According to the pro-government Turkish newspaper "Sabah," the two presidents will discuss the Ukrainian grain exports agreement concluded in July 2022 under the auspices of the United Nations and Ankara. Russia does not see a "reason" to extend it beyond the expiration of its reactors on July 17.



AFP