Bulgarian MEP: Europe should integrate Ukraine into a single European defense system

Europe must be able to ensure its own defense, in particular by integrating Ukraine into a single European defense system. This was stated by Radan Kanev, a member of the European Parliament from Bulgaria, in a comment to a LIGA.net correspondent on the sidelines of the 17th annual Kyiv Security Forum.

According to the MP, the main trend in European defense policy is the understanding that Europe must be able to defend itself. However, in his opinion, without Ukraine's integration into this defense context, European policy will not be complete.

"I do not see sufficient understanding at the level of European politics that all this makes no sense if Ukraine is not integrated into the European defense system. I hope that in the near future we will be able to create the defense union that we need in Europe," he emphasized.

Kanev also expressed concerns about the unpredictability of US foreign policy, particularly during the Donald Trump administration.

"The situation is changing very quickly. A little too quickly due to the unpredictable behavior of the current American administration. I expect this behavior to remain unpredictable in the near future. Therefore, I do not expect stable changes, of course, from the Trump administration," he noted.

Kanev also emphasized the importance of European security guarantees for Ukraine, as he does not believe that the United States will provide such stability in the near future.

"I hope we understand that security guarantees for Ukraine must come from Europe, because we will never have stable American security in the near future," the politician concluded.

• On April 26, it became known that the United States had unofficially agreed to provide security guarantees to European countries that plan to send their military to Ukraine to deter Russia after the ceasefire. This includes intelligence and logistical assistance.
• On April 30, Estonia said it was ready to contribute to the "coalition of the willing" by providing Ukraine with a combat unit and officers to deter Russia.