The decision was supported by 11 members of the parliamentary committee, one abstained, four from the pro-Russian parties "Renaissance" and the “Bulgarian Socialist Party” voted against.
Bulgaria will help Ukraine
At a meeting on Thursday, the Defense Committee of the Bulgarian Parliament supported the provision of MAN-portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) and anti-aircraft missiles of various types to Ukraine.
BTA writes about it.
Eleven parliamentary committee members supported the decision; one abstained, four from the pro-Russian Renaissance parties, and the Bulgarian Socialist Party voted against it.
The proposal is part of the draft decision on the provision of additional military aid to Ukraine, which was presented on December 7 by the parties of the government coalition of Bulgaria - GERB-SDS, "Continuing Changes-Democratic Bulgaria" and "Movement for Rights and Freedoms".
It refers to the determination by Bulgaria of the excess amount of weapons and equipment necessary for the staffing of wartime formations and the preparation of a proposal for providing these weapons and equipment to Ukraine.
Negotiations should also occur with the governments of NATO member countries regarding deploying the alliance's anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile systems to strengthen Bulgaria's defence capabilities.
In addition, it is proposed to consider the possibility of Bulgaria joining the coalition of countries to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters and the permission to carry out military training of up to 160 Ukrainian military personnel per year on a rotational basis.
Why did Bulgaria promise to provide Ukraine with 100 armoured personnel vehicles
On December 4, Bulgarian President Radev vetoed the free provision of armoured personnel vehicles to Ukraine, citing that "deputies were not sufficiently informed about the specific conditions of the transfer."
According to reports, the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, returned for a new discussion in the parliament on the law on the ratification of the agreement, according to which Bulgaria provides armoured vehicles to Ukraine free of charge.
In the reasons for the veto, it was noted that the people's representatives were not sufficiently familiar with the specific parameters of the supply, making it impossible to assess the need for the provided equipment objectively.
Radev emphasized that the armoured vehicles of high cross-country ability provided to Ukraine can be explicitly used to protect the Bulgarian border and assist the population in disasters and accidents, including in hard-to-reach areas.
I am guided by the conviction that the safety, health and life of Bulgarian citizens should be a priority, the President of Bulgaria said.
