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Bulgaria Joins US PURL Program to Accelerate Military Aid for Ukraine
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Bulgaria has officially announced its intention to join the PURL program, an initiative focused on the procurement of American weaponry for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the move on March 30, which marks a significant step in Sofia’s ongoing support for Kyiv.
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the decision, noting that the two nations are increasing their dialogue within the "Coalition of the Wiiling" and the EU’s SAFE rearmament initiative.
Sybiha highlighted that Bulgaria has already provided 16 packages of defense assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"I am grateful to the Government of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people for supporting Ukraine. We value Bulgaria's readiness to develop cooperation both at the bilateral level and within international organizations," the Foreign Minister stated.
The announcement follows the signing of a 10-year security cooperation agreement between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Bulgaria’s Acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov on March 30.
This landmark deal was accompanied by the first intergovernmental consultations held in Kyiv.
During these talks, officials from both countries agreed on a roadmap for cooperation in energy and maritime security.
Additionally, plans were revealed for a test launch of a passenger train service between Ukraine and Bulgaria via Romania, scheduled for this summer.
The PURL initiative functioned as a strategic tripartite effort between Ukraine, the United States, and Europe to fast-track essential military aid.
Under this system, Kyiv submitted specific requests for American weaponry, such as Patriot missiles and HIMARS ammunition, which were then approved by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and endorsed by the US European nations and other international partners financed these contracts, ensuring that once payments were completed, the equipment was delivered to Ukraine in the shortest possible time.
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-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")