Bulgaria Halts Weapons Deliveries to Ukraine Under New Government

Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced on June 9 that the country will stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, breaking with the European Union's push to pressure Russia. "Ukraine needs more people, not more armament," Stoyanov said during a press conference in Sofia, according to Bloomberg and Ukrinform. He called for a "just peace" to be determined by both sides in the conflict, adding that "the role of the European Union is extremely important."

Stoyanov serves in the government of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who took office in May after his party Progressive Bulgaria won April's parliamentary elections. Radev, a former air force commander and president until January, has repeatedly argued that the war cannot be resolved on the battlefield and has criticized EU military support for Ukraine. On May 18, after meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Radev said: "It is high time for diplomacy, because this prolonged war is exhausting all parties involved and supporting it." Radev has also called for lifting sanctions on Russia, arguing they damage Europe's economy.

Bulgaria is one of the EU's largest producers of Soviet-standard ammunition, including artillery shells compatible with many systems used by Ukrainian forces. Since Russia's 2022 invasion, Bulgaria has approved 13 military aid packages for Ukraine, though authorities have not publicly disclosed their value or contents. The previous government officially refused direct military aid in 2022, but Bulgarian-made ammunition reached the front through exports to other European countries. Stoyanov said his government believes further arms shipments would not help end the war. "We see a positional war and no matter how much armament is accumulated, the only thing that is achieved is the loss of human lives," he said, adding that "it is time to sit down at the negotiating table."