Bulgaria’s prime minister Kiril Petkov has launched a campaign asking Bulgarians to donate a month’s salary to a fund for the Ukrainian government following a ro9w about military aid.
“I call on every Bulgarian citizen who really wants to help Ukraine to donate a salary like me. Words are easy, deeds are difficult, it’s time for Facebook posts to become funds for Ukraine,” he wrote Monday on the website.
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Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov has launched a public campaign asking Bulgarian citizens to donate a month’s salary to a fund for the Ukrainian government.
“I call on every Bulgarian citizen who really wants to help Ukraine to donate a salary like me. Words are easy, deeds are difficult, it’s time for Facebook posts to become funds for Ukraine,” Petkov wrote on the social media website.
The call comes amid disagreement in the quadruple ruling coalition over whether Bulgaria should send weapons to Ukraine. The socialist party is the only one in the coalition opposed to sending weapons. Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Kornelia Ninova even threatened to leave the coalition over the issue.
Petkov explained that sending military aid to Ukraine requires political and social unity and said he would continue to work for Bulgaria to have a unified position. The coalition council will meet this week to discuss this further, and a government delegation is due to travel to Kyiv on Wednesday (27 April).
“Military aid is not necessarily in one of two extremes – it’s not just shells or helmets. Let’s understand the real needs of Ukraine and, as an informed coalition, unite around important concrete needs that we can all stand behind,” Petkov wrote.
“Until we reach this political consensus, as citizens of Bulgaria who believe that no one in Europe has the right to attack their neighbours and kill civilians, we are free to choose to help Ukraine financially to purchase ammunition,” the prime minister said.
GERB leader and ex-Prime Minister Boyko Borissov claimed that Bulgaria had been unofficially exporting weapons to Ukraine since February.
“Borissov, you are lying. Bulgaria does not export weapons to Ukraine or Russia,” the socialist leader Ninova answered on Facebook. “If Bulgaria was exporting, it is unlikely that the pressure on the government from external forces would be so great now. Ukraine’s foreign minister is unlikely to stay in parliament for two days waiting for a decision on arms exports,” she said.
A few days ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned foreign leaders to go to Ukraine only if they were ready to offer assistance in the country’s defence.
“We are not a country for tragic selfies,” he said. It has not yet been confirmed whether the Bulgarian delegation will meet with Zelenskyy.
The call comes amid a rift in the ruling coalition over whether Bulgaria should send weapons to Ukraine. The Socialist Party is opposed to the proposal and has threatened to quit the alliance over the issue.
“Until we reach this political consensus, as citizens of Bulgaria who believe that no one in Europe has the right to attack their neighbors and kill civilians, we are free to choose to help Ukraine financially to purchase ammunition,” the prime minister said.
The coalition will discuss the issue at a meeting this week and a Bulgarian government delegation is scheduled to visit Kyiv on Wednesday.
“Military aid is not necessarily one of two extremes – it’s not just shells or helmets. Let’s understand the real needs of Ukraine and, as an informed coalition, unite around important concrete needs that we can all stand behind,” he wrote.
Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov claimed that Bulgaria had been unofficially exporting weapons to Ukraine since February.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been trying to shore up military aid for his country among NATO and EU members.
