Prime Minister Kiril Petkov met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin today. The delegation arrived at the Council of Ministers early Saturday morning.
PICTURES FROM THE MEETING SEE HERE
Petkov and Austin discussed topics of common interest for Bulgaria and the United States. At the briefing after the conversation, the Bulgarian Prime Minister stressed that no military support for our country to provide to Ukraine was discussed. “This type of aid should happen only if it passes through the Bulgarian parliament. At the moment we are talking only about humanitarian aid, open doors for refugees, increased presence on the Eastern Flank and a common strategy with our NATO allies,” Petkov said. .
Petkov: This is absolute sabotage, there is no independent prosecutor’s office in Bulgaria
“The war that Putin has started has put the whole of Europe at risk. There is no country that can live with the illusion of complete security. Our security lies in the collective defense of our NATO allies. We are NATO,” he said.
“I emphasize how important it is for your country to create a multinational battle group in NATO. We congratulate Bulgaria on its leadership. Our defense partnership has never been so strong. Bulgaria has been working very purposefully. It is making efforts in the field of defense,” Austin said. .
“This battle group is under the command of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and we will propose that its commander be Bulgarian,” Petkov explained. He added: “The Bulgarian government aims to strengthen our defenses. We also talked with Mr. Austin about military mobility. Logistics is just as important as military equipment.”
The Bulgarian Prime Minister stressed that the fight against corruption is also a “common task and it affects both national security and stability on the Eastern Flank.”
“We had a very productive conversation about Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, NATO support and the Alliance’s strong response. We discussed important issues in the field of defense. The Ukrainian people are fighting against truly superior forces to defend their country. This fight is critical to the international order, “said the US Secretary of Defense.
He added that improving Bulgaria’s military readiness and interoperability in NATO are crucial.
Austin welcomed Bulgaria’s efforts to provide assistance to Ukrainian citizens.
“Bulgaria has already sent a lot of humanitarian aid. We help in all possible ways to reach everyone who needs it. In my conversation with Zelenski, he thanked me that Bulgaria has opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees and told me that his army is fighting much more bravely when he knows that women and children are safe, “said the Bulgarian prime minister.
“We have not found any significant progress in Ukraine. This is because there are stops on many fronts. As for the advance of Russian troops to the south, I will say that this progress is very small. They use savage techniques in the way they attack civilians. We hope that Russia will choose a different path. The suffering of civilians is severe for us. “As for whether they are going to Odessa or another city in the Russian part of Ukraine, I can’t comment and comment on Russia’s planning at the moment,” Austin concluded.
NOVA news – already in Instagram, Twitter, Telegram And Viber – Follow us. For more news like our Facebook page.
–
