Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Tuesday that Bulgaria will not contribute to a new €70 billion European Union financial aid package for Ukraine requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Speaking to reporters in the town of Tvarditsa, Radev dismissed the proposal, asking, “How does that look to you against the backdrop of everything happening in Europe? Bulgaria cannot contribute to this €70 billion,” according to the Bulgarian news agency BTA . The request was made during last week’s European Council meeting in Brussels, where Zelenskyy sought additional funding for 2027 to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion.
Radev noted that the EU had already approved a €90 billion loan for Ukraine in 2025, covering 2026 and 2027, from which Hungary, Czechia, and Slovakia secured exemptions from cost-sharing. Bulgaria, however, had participated in that package .
The prime minister argued that the war in Ukraine is draining European economies, fueling social tension and political instability. He called for an immediate end to the conflict, stating, “The outcome will not be achieved by military means” . Radev added that European citizens’ prosperity was being diverted into the war at the expense of addressing domestic issues, making political responses increasingly difficult .
