The country was one of the few EU members, along with Hungary, to refuse to deliver weapons directly to Kyiv. Some 175 MPs voted in favor of a six-point plan to provide military aid to Ukraine, detailing what weapons could be delivered to Kyiv. Another 49 voted against the proposal. This comes after parliament previously blocked such a move amid opposition from the Russia-friendly Socialist party, then a coalition partner in government. In May, parliament voted against military aid and decided that support to Ukraine should not exceed aid for military repairs. The newly approved proposal calls for the Cabinet to open talks with NATO allies to replace or boost defense capabilities in exchange for the faster release of Soviet-era military equipment. During the debate, MPs from different parties argued that providing military aid to Ukraine could be an opportunity for Bulgaria to modernize its weapons stockpile. But President Rumen Radev and Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov opposed the idea, saying the Bulgarian military could not afford such arms deliveries and arguing that partners such as the United States would not provide replacement weapons as a “gift”. It remains unclear what military aid could be sent to Ukraine and how soon that could happen. Bulgaria has so far indirectly supplied at least 1 billion euros in arms and ammunition to Ukraine through other countries that buy its weapons and send them, according to estimates, a significant boon for the Bulgarian defense industry.
