A Soviet-era S-300 -- an antiaircraft system which is still in service with the Bulgarian Army and which the United States reportedly asked Sofia to donate to Ukraine. (file photo)
RFE: Bulgaria's Pro-Kremlin Leader Refuses To Send Soviet-Era Fighter Jets And Tanks To Ukraine
With its stockpile of Soviet-era weapons, Bulgaria, home to a thriving arms industry, could be a key ally of Ukraine, which is trained on and equipped with such arms, in its war against invading Russian forces.
But with parliament now dissolved ahead of elections on April 2, the fifth snap poll in two years amid political uncertainty, the caretaking government is in no mood to provide lethal aid to Kyiv, appointed as it was by President Rumen Radev, who is known for his pro-Kremlin leanings.
Radev, a former air force pilot, doubled down on his hard-line stance on March 21, balking at joining a dozen EU states to supply Ukraine with at least 1 million artillery shells over the next year.
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WNU Editor: Bulgaria joins Austria and Hungary to not get involved in this war .... Bulgaria Refuses To Send Weapons To Ukraine, Joins Hungary & Austria's Neutral Stance (Zero Hedge/Remix News).
Not convincing WNU. During WW2 there were countries that did not declare war on Germany and Italy until the war was half over. The PM might be pro-Kremlin, but part of his motivation is fence sitting.
ReplyDeleteIf the Russians take Ukraine, he will be in the pro Kremlin camp for good.
If Russia loses, he will send aid to Ukraine.
We are not talking bravery here or a correct reading of the tea leaves, which are notoriously hard to read anyway.
That's just good leadership. Any country that can position itself as an intermediary with one foot in both worlds stands to gain everything in the future.
ReplyDeleteFence sitting is only good up to a point. Bulgaria will jump just as soon as Scholzy baby grows some.
ReplyDeleteI talked with a Bulgarian man in California recently, 50's-ish perhaps. He said that he personally didn't care for either Russians or Ukrainians as a rule.
ReplyDeleteHe seemed pretty normal.
The first duty of a National Leader, is to protect her people and second is to ensure their prosperity and freedom.
ReplyDeleteThis is what this guy is doing, looking after his own nation's interests instead of the Americans or the Russians. IF that means sitting the fence, that is exactly what you do.