Ukraine does not currently receive free military aid from Bulgaria but maintains ongoing mutually beneficial commercial defense cooperation, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi says, Ukrinform reports. The clarification followed Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov's announcement that Bulgaria will not provide any more weapons to Ukraine, with Stoyanov stating his view that "the war in Ukraine will not be resolved on the battlefield," per Sofia Globe.
Bulgaria supplied approximately one-third of all ammunition used by the Ukrainian military in the first six months of 2022, routed via the US and UK at an estimated value of $2.7 billion.
"Ukraine, as of right now, does not receive free military aid from Bulgaria. Ukrainian-Bulgarian defense cooperation is continuing on a commercial basis, and it is mutually beneficial for Ukraine and Bulgaria," Tykhyi said.
According to the spokesperson, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expects this cooperation to continue because it benefits Bulgarian companies, enabling them to scale production and generate revenue.
"We are grateful to Bulgaria for the fact that such projects are possible. We value cooperation with their defense companies," Tykhyi added.
Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced on 9 June 2026 that Bulgaria will not supply any further weapons to Ukraine, stating his view that "the war in Ukraine will not be resolved on the battlefield."
The framing echoes Russian and Russian-aligned narratives. Moscow has long wanted to make a pact with Ukraine, but under Kyiv's complete capitulation.
Stoyanov's statement, however, does not address commercial Bulgarian-Ukrainian defense cooperation, which is conducted between Bulgarian private and state defense enterprises and Ukrainian buyers rather than through state-to-state donations.
La ausencia de España, Irlanda, Islandia, Países Bajos y Eslovenia en Eurovisión, a modo de protesta por la presencia de Israel en el certamen, y el debate interno que viven los eurofans del resto de países, ha provocado una profunda caída de audiencia. La final de la edición de 2026 ha logrado 131 millones de espectadores a nivel global, según datos de la organizadora del evento, la Unión Europea de Radiodifusión (UER). Son 35 millones menos que el año anterior.
© HANNIBAL HANSCHKE (EFE)
Bulgaria's new government plans to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, a shift that breaks with the European Union's push to pressure Russia, Bloomberg reported. The country's Defense Minister tied the move to a call for negotiations rather than arms, echoing a prime minister who has long been hostile to military aid for Kyiv.
Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters in Sofia on 9 June that his government would end weapons deliveries to Kyiv.
"Ukraine needs more people, not more armament," he stated, and called instead for a "just peace that will be defined by both sides participating in the conflict."
He added that the EU's role in any peace process is "extremely important." But the Bloc would struggle to act as a mediator, he claimed, after assisting Ukraine throughout the war.
The stance reflects Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who has long held that the war cannot be won on the battlefield. Radev, a former air force commander and president until January, has repeatedly opposed the EU's military support for Ukraine. He has also called for lifting sanctions on the Kremlin, arguing they damage Europe's economy. In office for only a month, the Prime Minister has promised to expand Bulgaria's weight in joint European decisions.
Bulgaria ranks among the EU's biggest producers of Soviet-standard ammunition. Those older Soviet-caliber shells proved crucial to Ukraine early in the war. The government officially refused direct military aid in 2022. Even so, Bulgarian shells reached the front through exports to other EU countries. Since 2022, Sofia has sent 13 packages of military aid, keeping their value and contents classified.
The plan surfaced days after the leaders of France, Germany, and Britain urged the Kremlin to accept an immediate, complete ceasefire that would open talks on a lasting deal. Moscow has rejected Kyiv's offer to meet and negotiate an end to the full-scale invasion, launched more than four years ago.
The Times earlier called the rise to power of pro-Russian Radev a strategic success for Putin.
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