Bulgaria’s government has ruled out supplying additional weapons and military equipment to Ukraine, AP has reported.
Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said Sofia does not believe the conflict can be resolved through continued military escalation, arguing that further arms deliveries are unlikely to change the course of a war that has increasingly become one of attrition.
Stoyanov argued that Ukraine’s main challenge is manpower, not weapons, and that the focus should shift from arms deliveries to negotiations.
He added that while the European Union remains an important actor in efforts to end the conflict, its assistance to Ukraine makes it difficult for the bloc to take on a mediating role.
Sofia’s policy reflects the position of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, whose government entered office after April’s election.
While opposing further military aid to Kyiv, the new administration has also announced plans to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP in line with NATO targets.
Military Aid for Kyiv
The announcement marks a shift from discussions held earlier this year, when Bulgaria and Ukraine explored closer defense-industrial cooperation, including joint production of unmanned aerial systems and the development of counter-drone capabilities for detection, tracking, and interception.
Moreover, talks also explored potential projects under Brave1, Ukraine’s government-backed defense innovation platform, involving government agencies and defense companies from both countries.
Since the start of the war in 2022, Bulgaria has supplied Ukraine with Soviet-era weapons, ammunition, and military equipment while gradually modernizing its own armed forces with NATO-standard systems.
Equipment transferred to Kyiv has included S-300 air defense missiles and BTR armored personnel carriers.
