Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation warned that a ceasefire without security assurances for Kyiv would be the most destructive possible scenario for the European Union and Bulgaria.
Zaharieva in a bTV interview, noted,
“Uncertainty on the European continent is an extremely unfavourable position for all EU citizens.”
“No one wants peace more than the people of Ukraine and Ukraine itself, who are living through war. And Europe stands with Ukraine,”
Zaharieva also said.
“What we must do together, and I hope with the U.S. as well, is work toward achieving this peace. However, it must be lasting. A mere ceasefire, a temporary truce without clear agreements and security guarantees for Ukraine, will lead to nothing but a regrouping and strengthening of the Russian army, followed by a resumption of military actions in two, three, or four years. In other words, it would create yet another ‘frozen conflict,’”
The Bulgarian EU Commissioner highlighted.
How will the EU’s €150 billion loan modernise armies?
“Europe must invest more in its own defence and security. Ahead of the extraordinary meeting of European leaders, Ursula von der Leyen presented a plan outlining the European Commission’s proposal for how Europe should invest more in its own security and defence. Part of this plan includes a EUR 150 billion loan to help European countries modernize their armies together. Europe’s military industries are crucial,”
Zaharieva underlined. She stated that Bulgaria has a powerful military industry and will benefit from this endeavour.
“It is extremely important that [the war] ends favourably for Ukraine,”
Zaharieva expressed, voicing hope that this will happen soon.
What role does Bulgaria play in EU defence plans?
Besides this, Bulgaria often restated its support for Ukraine amid pressure between the US and Kyiv’s European partners.
“We have united around the understanding that a just and lasting peace can be achieved as peace through security for Ukraine and for the EU,”
Stated Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov in a press statement.
Zhelyazkov also underlined that
“Bulgaria cannot afford to be put in a situation, either actively or passively, to choose its support and attitude to the war in the different trends expressed by the EU and the US. We view them as allies in NATO and as a joint guarantor for the protection of our national security.”
