In Bulgaria: NATO Declares Full Support for Ukraine Until Victory

From Sofia, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly issued a strong appeal to the governments of the Alliance member countries to bolster their support for Ukraine. This call to action was made clear during a forum preceding the NATO summit in Washington. The Assembly adopted a declaration of support for Kyiv until victory, emphasizing that Ukraine should be able to strike legitimate military targets on Russian territory using the military aid provided by its allies.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who was present in Bulgaria for the forum, addressed concerns about the potential deployment of training missions to Ukraine. He assured that no such missions would be sent but highlighted the importance of timely aid to Ukraine. Stoltenberg noted a positive trend in defense spending, with the number of countries allocating 2% of their GDP to defense increasing from three in 2014 to 19 currently.

Acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev underscored that Bulgaria's NATO membership was not only a civilizational choice but also facilitated numerous reforms in the country. He dismissed rumors about sending Bulgarian soldiers to Ukraine, calling them a "typical example of a hybrid attack and disinformation." Glavchev reassured Bulgarian citizens that such a topic had never been discussed within NATO.

Stoltenberg pointed out that NATO's support for Ukraine needs to be more coordinated, accountable, and predictable. He praised Bulgaria as a reliable ally, noting its significant increase in defense spending, which now reaches 2% of GDP. He acknowledged that although 99% of military aid to Ukraine has been provided by NATO, there has been a notable delay in delivering promised support in recent months. The United States, for instance, took six months...