Head of State Rumen Radev: It is right for Europe to support the US efforts to find a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine

The allocation of sufficient funds for Bulgaria's security and defense is imperative and 2.5% of GDP is not a limit that we must reach, but in all likelihood the necessary minimum, the president said after reviewing the analysis of the state and preparation of the Armed Forces in 2024.

We are witnessing an unprecedented in scale and dynamics change in the security environment and the growing unpredictability in the geopolitical space. This was stated by President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Rumen Radev to journalists today after reviewing the analysis of the state and preparation of the Armed Forces in 2024. The head of state congratulated the military leadership for the comprehensive and objective analysis, which was presented by the Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov and emphasized the need to consider the processes through the prism of the security environment.

According to Rumen Radev, the Munich Security Conference caused a tremor in the Euro-Atlantic space, as well as the resolutions voted yesterday by the General Assembly and the UN Security Council, which international media defined as a new dividing line in the Euro-Atlantic space. We see that there is a different assessment of the war in Ukraine and different approaches to regulating this conflict, the president said. "The United States insists on a quick regulation of this conflict by means of diplomacy. What we saw yesterday with the visit of European leaders to Ukraine is the other approach - continuation of military actions and through them seeking to bring Ukraine into a position of strength for possible further negotiations," the head of state added. The President stressed that the entire course of the war so far shows that this is a utopian hope that will cause many more victims and even more destruction and devastation in Ukraine, for which Europe will ultimately have to pay.

"Europe is most interested in participating in the peace process and being the leader, because it will rebuild Ukraine," the President pointed out, adding that the insistence on seeking a military solution, especially at this moment, is losing and it would be right for Europe to support the US efforts to find a peaceful solution. The debate on a possible refocusing of the US from the Euro-Atlantic space to the Pacific region is increasingly looming on the horizon; this process is ongoing, but Europe has yet to orient itself in the new dynamics, Rumen Radev also said.

In response to a question about whether there is a risk that Europe will be weakened by US actions, the Head of State pointed out that Europe can only be weakened by mistakes in its own decisions. The President reminded that Europe and the previous US administration encouraged Ukraine to launch a counteroffensive, for which there were absolutely no conditions for success, both in terms of the balance of power and the lack of air superiority. “What is the result? A complete disaster of this counteroffensive, hundreds of thousands of victims, total devastation of the country, no conquest and return of territories – on the contrary, they lost and will continue to lose territories,” noted Rumen Radev and called for listening to military expertise. In his words, when the principles of operational art are violated, a catastrophe inevitably follows.

In response to a question, the head of state once again emphasized his position against sending Bulgarian troops to Ukraine in any form. He highlighted the readiness of some Bulgarian politicians to play heroes and demonstrate a willingness to send Bulgarian servicemen on a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, without being at all aware of the nature and scope of the peace agreements and what the risk will be. According to him, these politicians have never risked their own lives and will not do so, but they want to accumulate political dividends at the expense of the lives of others.

As part of the analysis of the state and preparation of the Armed Forces in 2024, it was discussed how Bulgaria can establish itself as a factor of stability in the regional plan in the new geopolitical reality, it became clear from the words of the president. The head of state pointed out that while until now the NATO member states have relied more on Art. 5 of the Washington Treaty, from now on they will have to think more about Art. 3 – how each country can build its own defense capacity in a national and coalition format. According to him, this poses many questions and new challenges for the Armed Forces and for defense planning. Rumen Radev also stated that in the new international realities, the National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy are no longer relevant, and an urgent update of the Strategic Defense Review, which has never been completed in its entirety, is necessary.

The head of state also indicated that the main challenge facing the Ministry of Defense continues to be the staffing of personnel, despite the increase in salaries. This year, the modernization of the army, which has been extremely late, is also stalling, because with the budget allocated to it, the implementation of the modernization program cannot be continued.

Rumen Radev also pointed out that the allocation of sufficient funds for the security and defense of Bulgaria is imperative and 2.5% of GDP is not a limit that we must reach, but in all likelihood the necessary minimum of defense funds. He emphasized that the most important people in the defense sphere are people with the necessary qualities and knowledge to work with modern equipment, and therefore a significant social package for military personnel is also necessary to attract and retain them.

In response to a question about military training for the civilian population, the head of state stated that the war in Ukraine has shown that without a solid mobilization reserve, one cannot even talk about success in defense operations. Rumen Radev pointed out that the mobilization reserve is constantly shrinking and it is necessary to find forms for initial military training so that Bulgarians can defend their country if necessary.

Asked whether a military union should be created by the EU countries in order for Europe to guarantee its security and independence, the president pointed out the currently available European defense structures, but stressed that they are not filled with the necessary content. "There is already a real sobering up and Europe realizes that it will have to take on a much greater burden and responsibility for its own defense," he pointed out and stressed that this is an inevitable process that is part of the strategic autonomy that Europe is striving for.