Bulgarian pro-Russian government clarifies: No arms donations to Ukraine, but sales are permitted

Bulgaria's government, led by the pro-Russian and Euroskeptic President Rumen Radev, has announced a shift in its policy regarding military aid to Ukraine. While the government will halt donations of military equipment from its own army's reserves, it explicitly permits Bulgarian defense companies to continue selling arms to Ukraine.

Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov explained that this decision reflects the position advocated by Radev's party, We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria, during the April 19 election campaign, which they won with an absolute majority. "We are suspending the supply of weapons and ammunition from the Bulgarian Army's depots. The key word is supply, not sale," Stoyanov clarified to the bTV broadcaster.

This move effectively reverses parliamentary decisions from 2023 that had authorized military assistance to Ukraine. Stoyanov argued that the conflict in Ukraine cannot be resolved on the battlefield, stating, "We see a war of positions, and no matter how much weaponry is accumulated, the only result is the loss of human lives. It is time to sit at the negotiating table."

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We are suspending the supply of weapons and ammunition from the Bulgarian Army's depots. The key word is supply, not sale.

Bulgaria has historically supplied arms to Ukraine not directly through government channels but via intermediaries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, the United States, and Romania. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the Bulgarian defense industry has seen a significant boom, with production increasing by 200% and contributing between 2% and 4% of the country's GDP in 2025.

Previous Bulgarian governments had provided aid through indirect channels and, from late 2022 to 2024, through official parliamentary-approved military packages. Bulgaria is a major producer of Soviet-caliber ammunition, which is also used by Ukraine. President Radev, a former military officer, has consistently advocated for negotiations with Russia since the start of the invasion and opposes EU economic sanctions against Moscow.

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The war in Ukraine will not be resolved on the battlefield. We see a war of positions, and no matter how much weaponry is accumulated, the only result is the loss of human lives. It is time to sit at the negotiating table.