Bulgaria Ends Military Deliveries to Ukraine and Declines Financial Aid

Bulgaria will no longer supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine from its military depots and has no financial resources to support Kyiv with money. Prime Minister Rumen Radev told journalists on Friday, 13 November, on the sidelines of the informal EU summit in Dublin.

According to Radev, Bulgaria is under the EU excessive deficit procedure, which limits the capacity of state reserves. At the same time, Sofia will not hinder other EU member states from providing financial assistance to Kyiv.

Radev said that Bulgaria supports diplomatic efforts to end the war but opposes the concept of "peace through strength," arguing that continued military support leads to growing casualties, destruction and escalation.

The prime minister stressed that Ukraine is home to the largest historically Bulgarian community in the EU, and expressed concern about the losses ethnic Bulgarians are suffering during the war. Sofia is ready to discuss mechanisms guaranteeing that European funds in which Bulgaria participates are directed strictly to humanitarian needs, the restoration of electricity supply and medical aid, and not to the purchase of weapons. If Bulgaria acts as guarantor of a loan, it will insist that part of the funds be allocated to the Bulgarian community in Ukraine, concentrated mainly in the southern part of Odesa region.

Radev also noted that Bulgarian defense manufacturers recorded significant export volumes in 2022 and 2023, after which deliveries declined: demand on the battlefield shifted in favor of drones rather than conventional artillery ammunition.

The statements in Dublin follow the official decision of Radev's cabinet on 21 October to end Bulgarian funding for the purchase of lethal weapons for Ukraine through the European Peace Facility and to limit future contributions exclusively to non-military aid, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) reported.

Since Radev's political coalition won the parliamentary elections in April, Sofia has consistently been winding down the military support policy pursued by previous governments, which were major suppliers of Soviet-standard artillery shells to Kyiv. In June, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced plans to completely halt direct arms supplies to Ukraine, and in July Radev withdrew Bulgaria from the UK- and France-led "Coalition of the Willing," saying the conflict must be resolved by diplomatic rather than military means.