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The Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia criticized Bulgaria for refusing to send weapons to Ukraine.
The position of Bulgaria and Hungary regarding their refusal to provide military aid to Ukraine is incomprehensible and “close to treason,” said Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks on Radio Free Europe’s “Nowadays Vremya” television.
“I think that, to some extent, such a position within the EU and NATO is fundamentally very close to betrayal. I am of this opinion because I do not understand such a position, I do not approve of such a position,” Pabriks said. said in response to a question about having discussed with colleagues from other member countries of the Alliance and the EU, the positions of Bulgaria and Hungary against sending weapons to Kiev, writes Free Europe.
“And I think that after all the politicians and countries in the EU and NATO who support such a position will be treated very, very badly.”
He called the decision to provide military aid as a signal which countries could be trusted and which could not. In his words there are leaders “who utter beautiful words, but who disappear when the problem arises.”
“After that, they are no longer friends,” added the Latvian Defense Minister.
All NATO and EU members, with the exception of Bulgaria and Hungary, have provided different types and amounts of military aid to Ukraine. Sofia passed resolutions in support of Kiev, provided technical and humanitarian aid, but so far it has not officially provided weapons.
“Democratic Bulgaria” and GERB have presented proposals for decisions on the supply of weapons in the new parliament and their positions are supported by “Continue the change” and DPS.
The BSP and “Vazrazhdane” and “Bulgarian Rise” are opposed to the supply of weapons in parliament. The president is also against such a decision Rumen Radev and the official government.
According to Pabriks, the outcome of the war in Ukraine will greatly affect his country and people. And the struggle right now is for Europe, democracies, freedom and human rights for all.
“If someone in Europe does not understand this, it means that it is not only against the interests of Ukraine, but also against the interests of Latvia. And if a member of the EU and NATO is against the interests of my country, as it should. I call another way, “Pabriks also said.
The Latvian Defense Minister also said he does not consider Vladimir Putin’s words about the potential use of the Russian nuclear arsenal a bluff. According to him, the Russian president has shown that he does not consider people’s lives important. However, Pabriks stressed that even if Moscow were to use nuclear weapons, it would not change Ukraine’s stance or stop the aid the West is providing to Kiev.
According to Pabriks, Belarus is not currently making independent decisions about its future. But he sees in the recent positions of President Alexander Lukashenko a reluctance to fulfill all the wishes of the Kremlin.
The Latvian Defense Minister sees Ukraine’s victory as the only way out of the war.
After the start of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine Rumen Radev he said that “Russia will win the war, but it will be difficult to achieve peace”. This thesis was also supported by the leader of “Vazrazhdane” Kostadin Kostadinov.
In the first few months, the Russian army occupied many territories in eastern and southern Ukraine. At the end of September, Moscow held referendums in four Ukrainian regions, which it later annexed.
EU and NATO countries have outlawed them.
