“I believe that Ukraine can win”. Defense Minister Todor Tagarev said this in an interview with the Ukrainian service of “Voice of America”.
“It can restore its territorial integrity, provided it receives constant support from democratic states, including political, financial and, last but not least, military support,” said our military minister.
Military aid from Bulgaria to Ukraine
He also spoke about Bulgaria’s role in providing military aid to Kiev. Tagarev stated that our country supplies Ukraine with Soviet-era weapon systems that are in working order, as the Ukrainian military is familiar with them and their use does not require additional training.
“The production of ammunition, small arms and small arms in Bulgaria is more important,” Tagarev told VOA. “This is the area of production in which Bulgaria specialized during the Soviet era, and this specialization has been preserved for many years. The defense industry operates 24/7 and a significant part of this production goes to Ukraine , directly or through third parties,” noted the Defense Minister.
He noted that in the near future Bulgaria intends to continue producing ammunition according to the Soviet standard, but is also working on the transition to NATO standards.
Military and medical training
Bulgaria also provides other types of assistance to Kiev, including training military personnel and teaching foreign languages (e.g. English – for the training of F-16 fighter pilots). “At Ukraine’s request, we have committed to train one infantry company at a time, but that could mean several companies a year. We are fully capable of doing that, and we have also offered Ukraine to train, for example, military doctors,” Tagarev said.
“To save Putin”
The minister emphasized that despite the changes in the administration in Sofia, the country’s parliament retains an overwhelming majority of supporters of the Euro-Atlantic policy, which means support for the security of Ukraine and the resolution of the military conflict within the framework of international norms. “What Ukraine really, really needs is air power to eliminate Russia’s advantage in the skies and to support troops when it is ready to resume offensive operations,” Tagarev said.
“If Putin is allowed to achieve even partially his goals, this will mean an increase in security risks for Europe and especially for the countries on the eastern flank of NATO, among which is Bulgaria,” said Tagarev. “Therefore, it is in our strategic interest for Ukraine to resist Russian aggression and restore its territorial integrity.”
The suspension of Russian oil
By imposing an embargo on the import of Russian oil, the European Union made an exception for our country, allowing us to import fuel until the end of 2024. However, the National Assembly decided not to wait for this period, and the end will be completely closed from March. “We no longer receive Russian gas,” Tagarev explained. “Russia tried to intimidate us by asking us to pay in rubles. When the government did not give in to this pressure, Russia cut off gas supplies. Well, we found other sources. With oil, it’s more difficult,” he admitted.
“The fact is that Lukoil is the owner of the only large oil refinery in Bulgaria, which is important for us and for some neighboring countries. That’s why we asked for an exception, but the pressure, including from the deputies, played a role because we don’t want the money , which our taxpayers spend, to support Russia’s military activities. In the end, we decided that we can take the risk and stop using Russian oil by the end of February this year,” the defense minister said.
According to Tagarev, “Lukoil” has stated that it is studying the possibility of selling its refinery.
Demining the Black Sea
Tagarev also commented on the agreement on demining the Black Sea, signed on Thursday by Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania. According to him, this will reduce the risks, including from unintended explosions. He noted that Turkey strictly observes the Montreux Convention, signed in 1936, by not allowing warships of NATO countries, Ukraine and Russia through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits. According to him, this helps prevent the escalation of the war in Ukraine. The minister noted that these efforts will also contribute to ensuring the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, which is of great importance for Ukrainian exports and the sustainability of the Ukrainian economy.
translation DNES.BG
2024-01-14 20:45:00
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