Key facts
- Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated his country does not belong in the "Coalition of the Willing" supporting Ukraine.
- Radev believes the solution to the conflict is not military prolongation but a strong diplomatic mission.
- Bulgaria's participation in the Bastille Day parade was described as a sign of good relations with France.
- Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov previously announced Bulgaria would cease donating weapons to Ukraine.
- Radev defended Bulgaria's right to defend its national interests within NATO and EU frameworks.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced Tuesday that Bulgaria does not belong in the "Coalition of the Willing," an alliance coordinating long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. Speaking to reporters in Paris, where he attended Bastille Day celebrations hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, Radev stated that while Macron had invited him to continue participating in the alliance, it is not "Bulgaria's place."
"We are not part of a coalition that insists on continued financial and military assistance to Ukraine," Radev said, emphasizing his belief that the conflict's resolution lies in a diplomatic mission rather than military prolongation. He hailed the participation of Bulgaria's ceremonial Guards in the Bastille Day parade as "a sign of the extremely good relations between Bulgaria and France."
Radev, who has been in power since his election victory in April, has consistently expressed skepticism toward military support for Kyiv, arguing the war cannot be won on the battlefield and has previously described Ukraine's cause as "doomed."
On June 9, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced Bulgaria would stop donating weapons to Ukraine, though he clarified a day later that commercial arms sales would continue. Radev insisted that Bulgaria remains fully engaged in NATO and EU decision-making and defended Sofia's willingness to threaten a veto over the EU's latest sanctions package after raising objections to the inclusion of several individuals, including Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. "There's nothing wrong with a country defending its national interest within a collective framework," he stated.