Bulgaria expects to gain €500 million in revenue from its military aid to Ukraine over the past three years, Euractiv reports. The compensation comes as Western allies agree to reimburse Sofia for its support.
The Bulgarian government has already received €174 million from Denmark as part of two military aid contracts with Ukraine. Additional compensation of at least €300 million is expected from the United States and European Commission for providing state-owned military equipment to Kyiv.
Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov said:
“By helping Ukraine, we are actually helping ourselves.”
He explained that Bulgaria is sending its old Soviet-standard military equipment to Ukraine while using the received funds to invest in new Western weapons.
“The military aid we provide is no longer necessary. We are sending everything that is not included in the army’s equipment for peace and wartime,” Zapryanov stated.
Bulgarian military factories and arms dealers reported a turnover of €3.2 billion in 2023. While these factories are transitioning to NATO-standard ammunition production, significant portions still manufacture Soviet-style weapons for export to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and primarily Ukraine in recent years.
Opposition to the military aid persists from pro-Russian forces, including President Rumen Radev, the Bulgarian Socialist Party within the ruling coalition, and the pro-Kremlin Vazrazhdane party, which partners with Germany’s AfD in the European Parliament, Euroactiv says.
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- Bulgarian president declines NATO summit attendance over his anti-Ukraine stance
