2024-04-16 15:08:42
- Blinken: Putin was wrong that Ukraine’s neighbors would disunite
- We are starting to clear the Black Sea of mines with Turkey and Romania
The Cabinet Office is preparing to give two packages of military aid to Ukraine, but their delivery is being delayed due to logistical problems, Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov announced on Monday.
“We need airlift. Not all equipment is suitable for transport by train or car. The International Center for the Coordination of Donor Aid is also involved in this activity, so it is an international effort,” he explained.
The two packages were approved by decisions of the “Denkov” cabinet from November 2023 and from March this year. Their contents are secret. Zapryanov reminded that footage of the last large shipment of armored personnel carriers was leaked on the Internet. Thus it was found out that Bulgaria is also sending self-propelled howitzers. The minister insisted that it is not proper to photograph the military equipment, but still “democracy” allows it.
The dispatch of the APCs was also plagued by logistical problems and their departure was significantly delayed. This became an occasion for GERB and DPS to demand the resignation of former minister Todor Tagarev, whose deputy was Zapryanov. However, before handing over power, Tagarev insisted that the military had done everything in their power, and pulled out a report, according to which the decisions of the parliament were made relatively late, and yet the organization took place in just over a month.
The Turkish parliament has approved the agreement with Bulgaria and Romania to create a working group to clear mines from the war between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea, Zapryanov also announced. The decision was awaited so that the group could operate in practice.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has pledged support to maintain peace in the Black Sea. “Our allies can count on the US to make the region more secure, more prosperous and more integrated. Putin thought that Ukraine’s neighbors in the region would be disunited, but he was wrong,” he said in a video address at the second joint conference between Bulgaria and Ukraine.
Moscow has been undermining peace in the region for more than a decade. This war must not be normalized. Ukraine not only protects its sovereignty, but also peace in the region, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. He also sent a video message.
Bulgaria will continue to support Ukraine, assured Bulgarian Foreign Minister Stefan Dimitrov. And he welcomed Switzerland’s initiative to convene the first peace summit in June. It is expected to “set a framework for future negotiations with Russia and define a clear road map based on the principles of the Peace Formula, the UN Charter and international law.”