Prime Minister Rumen Radev rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation for Bulgaria to participate in the Coalition of Willing, arguing that „Bulgaria’s place is not there.”
„We do not participate in a coalition that insists on continuing financial and military aid to Ukraine,” Radev told journalists on Tuesday in Paris, where he was supposed to attend the French National Day parade.
"We do not offer such aid because I believe that the solution to this conflict does not lie in prolonging it through military means, but in a strong diplomatic mission aimed at ending the escalation," he said, as quoted by Sofia Globe.
Radev Keeps Distance from Kiev
Rumen Radev took office as prime minister on May 8, and his government announced that Bulgaria will no longer supply military equipment to Ukraine. He initially stated that Bulgaria would contribute to NATO's financial assistance to Ukraine within its "capabilities," but later specified that there were no funds available for this purpose, the publication notes.
Also on Tuesday, Radev distanced himself from the announcement regarding the formation of a new alliance of European states for common defense against potential ballistic missile attacks. This group includes Ukraine, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and two non-EU countries - the United Kingdom and Norway.
"All decisions regarding our collective security are made in a different format and in a different place. And proposals, ideas - we have seen many so far. However, decisions are made in a different format, and Bulgaria actively participates in all these formats where decisions are made," Radev said.
"These issues are decided within the EU and NATO, where Bulgaria has a significant weight," he added.
National Interest Above All
Radev further stated that his threat to block the new package of sanctions against Russia represented an "open affirmation of national interest."
"I insisted on removing from the sanctions list against Russia an entity related to the Sofia metro. I want to make this clear. Bulgaria openly expressed its reservations and willingness to block the entire package by veto if it had not been removed from the list," Radev said.
"You saw that it was removed from the list. For the first time, Bulgaria openly affirms its national interest, and we see that there is nothing terrible in a country defending its national interest. This behavior is respected by all other partners," he stated.
Bulgaria's absence from the Coalition of Willing discussions stood out, considering the countries that participated in the meeting in the capital of France, the publication noted.
Among the participants were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Presidents of Moldova, Finland, and Romania, as well as the Prime Ministers of Albania, Croatia, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Luxembourg, Poland, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Belgium, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Latvia.
Representatives of other coalition members, including North Macedonia, Italy, Turkey, Portugal, Lithuania, Slovakia, Australia, Iceland, Montenegro, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, and Cyprus, were also present.
EU and NATO institutions were represented by the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, as well as the NATO Secretary-General.
Radev also commented that the effectiveness of European sanctions against Russia needs to be evaluated.
"When we impose the 21st package of sanctions, we need to ask ourselves why we reach this point and what happens with the previous 20 packages of sanctions. It is clear that they do not achieve their purpose. Sanctions must be structured in a way that, above all, does not affect the countries imposing them," he said.
Bulgaria Quickly Exits the Coalition of Willing
Bulgaria joined the Coalition of Willing in 2025 when the government led by Rosen Jeleazkov confirmed the country's participation in this format.
Decisions made by the Cabinet at that time established the framework in which Bulgaria could participate in international initiatives to support Ukraine, explicitly stating that the country could not send military personnel to the conflict zone.
Participation was limited to non-combat activities, including logistical and infrastructure support, as well as commitments in the field of maritime security by providing ships for mine laying and support vessels.
On March 30, 2026, the cabinet led by Andrei Ghiurov also approved the signing of the bilateral security agreement between Bulgaria and Ukraine.
The document has a validity of 10 years and provides for cooperation in defense and military equipment production, including drones, as well as Bulgaria's participation in NATO's funding and procurement mechanism known as PURL (Prioritized List of Ukraine's Needs).
The agreement formalizes the country's political and strategic commitments to Kiev, reiterating that all actions must be within the mandate granted by the National Assembly in Sofia.
T.D.