Bulgarian leader vetoes free transfer of outdated armor to Ukrainian Armed Forces

The President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, has vetoed a draft law approved by the country's parliament, which allows for free transfer of armored vehicles to Ukraine, reported the local outlet Nova Bulgaria.

Radev explained his decision by the fact that "the MPs were not sufficiently familiarized with the specific conditions of the transfer of equipment."

According to the Bulgarian president, because of this, the parliamentarians could not objectively assess whether the armored vehicles are outdated and whether Ukraine really needs them.

Radev said that the armored vehicles intended for the Armed Forces can be used to protect the Bulgarian border and provide assistance to the population in the event of disasters and accidents, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

"I am guided by the conviction that the safety, health and life of Bulgarian citizens should be the first priority," he said.

According to the full text of the document, it refers to the July agreement between Ukraine and Bulgaria on military-technical cooperation. Per this agreement, for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war, Bulgaria was to hand over 100 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, removed from the arsenal of the Bulgarian police.

According to a Welt investigation, Bulgaria unofficially actively supplied Ukraine with ammunition and diesel fuel for military equipment during the crucial months of the war in early 2022.

On August 8, 2023, the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov met with Defense Minister Todor Tagarev in Bulgaria.