Ukraine Clarifies Bulgaria Defense Cooperation Runs on Commercial Terms, Not Free Aid

Ukraine's defense cooperation with Bulgaria operates on commercial terms that serve both countries, providing Kyiv with needed defense equipment while opening development opportunities for Bulgaria's defense industry.

This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne reported on June 10.

Tykhyi explained that Ukraine receives no free military assistance from Bulgaria and that the partnership instead proceeds on mutually advantageous conditions. He emphasized that the arrangement benefits both sides: Ukraine obtains the defense assets it requires, while Bulgarian enterprises and the country's defense sector gain room to grow.

The ministry expects the cooperation to continue, Tykhyi added, as it strengthens Ukraine's defense capability and supports the achievement of its security objectives.

"We are grateful to Bulgaria, grateful that such projects are possible, for this cooperation with their defense company," he noted. "This commercial, mutually beneficial cooperation allows us to move faster toward peace agreements."

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The remarks followed a June 9 announcement by Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov that his country would no longer supply weapons to Ukraine, declaring his conviction that the war "will not be resolved on the battlefield."

"Ukraine needs more people, not more weapons. It has enough weapons, so we do not foresee providing more weapons to the Ukrainian army," Stoyanov claimed. "We see a positional war, and no matter how much weaponry is accumulated, the only thing achieved is the loss of human lives."

The halt marks a sharp reversal in Sofia's posture toward Kyiv's defense effort. Bulgaria has dispatched 13 aid packages to Ukraine since the 2022 full-scale invasion began. Sofia also signed a landmark 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Kyiv and joined the NATO-backed PURL program for fast-tracking critical military equipment and air defense capabilities.

The policy shift followed April's snap parliamentary elections, in which Prime Minister Rumen Radev's coalition secured a decisive victory on a platform that included halting military assistance to Ukraine and restoring diplomatic ties with Moscow.

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