© Tsvetelina Belutova, Capital
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The Minister of Defense Stefan Yanev commented that he did not use the word “war”, but quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin and referred to the fact that the use of this word, the word “military operation” and any military talk should be very specifically and responsibly. He noted this in the program “Panorama” on BNT on the occasion his speech to BTV yesterdaynot to use the word “war” frivolously for Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which provoked sharp criticism against him and calls for his resignation.
Yanev criticized the calls to withdraw, saying that he had taken over the Ministry of Defense with “a conscious risk in the name of national security and in the name of Bulgaria, because I knew what was coming.”
“This risk leads to the fact that I am currently under attack that they want my resignation. People from the coalition who support the government want it. It is strange if they are asking themselves the question – asking for the resignation of a cabinet member, do they have any idea “Will the parliament be able to form a new government or will it go to the polls?” Yanev asked.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced in the Yanev case in parliament that the resignation of the defense minister was not on the agenda. “Yes, there is dissatisfaction that I see, but at the moment, today, this is not a topic at the moment,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by BNR.
Regarding the case with the word “war”, he pointed out that “if you notice, nowhere in the official language of both NATO and the European Union is there a document in which the word” war “is used. We must handle the words very carefully. because after the war comes diplomacy “.
According to him, in his capacity as Minister of Defense, he had a responsibility to the Bulgarian citizens, and on the one hand they should be informed and on the other hand they should not be intimidated.
“This war in Ukraine does not pose a direct threat to Bulgaria’s territory at the moment. These are the assessments shared by our NATO allies,” Yanev said, adding that he thought the right question was how Bulgaria could best defend itself. their national interests.
“No matter the euphemisms we use for the war in Ukraine, it is ultimately not the biggest problem at the moment. The bigger problem is that the international relations system is not working, the security system has exhausted its potential to resolve crises from such Diplomacy failed, followed by hostilities, because in the history of mankind, the search for ways to resolve disputes has led to this practice. it is happening now, “the defense minister said.
He does not agree that there are young and old on the international stage, there were “willing and unwilling, able and incapable, but in order to be willing and able, however, we must formulate our national policy well.”
According to him, in this case Bulgaria was interested in positioning itself among the countries that say that the state of the international system does not yield results and if it needs to be changed through negotiations, we should participate in them.
“Bulgaria does not have a harder or softer position, there is one position – in defense of our national interest within NATO, as this is the conscious choice of Bulgaria. Our position is consistent and well understood, accepted and largely copied from other countries “, Yanev commented and declared the narrative of the Bulgarian battalion” nihilistic “.
“The Bulgarian Army does not have one battalion, but has 6 NATO-certified battalion battle groups. There is no reluctance of foreign troops to enter Bulgaria from NATO,” the military minister assured.
Several dozen citizens had gathered in front of the BNT building to demand his resignation after his participation in Panorama. The protest is organized on the social network “Facebook”.
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