Volodymyr Zelensky is expected in Istanbul today after visiting Sofia and Prague the day before. A journey to try to gain support for Kiev’s intentions regarding its future in NATO, and to secure more weapons, and even to try to renew the Black Sea grain deal. A trip to allied countries, but each with its own peculiarities, as the sour exchange between the Ukrainian president and his Bulgarian counterpart showed.
In an interview broadcast on CNN on Wednesday evening, the Ukrainian president once again thanked the international aid and at the same time regretted the delay in the delivery of weapons. however, he wanted because the occupied territory is mined and with more lines of defense. “In some directions, we can’t even think of starting it because we don’t have the necessary weapons. And it would just be inhumane to let our men get killed by long-range Russian weapons,” he said.
Hours later, Zelensky was received by a Bulgarian government that intends to end the country’s hesitations and arm Kiev directly. Until now, the arms industry repaired Ukrainian heavy equipment and produced ammunition compatible with Soviet-era equipment, but for third countries, which then exported them back to Ukraine.
The Balkan country will have reached a stable solution after five parliamentary elections in two years. The new coalition government between centre-right centrist formations assumes it is Europeanist and is based on the rotation of its leadership. The one who received Zelensky at the airport was Mariya Gabriel, foreign minister and future prime minister in nine months. The Ukrainian president then met with the current head of government, Nikolay Denkov, who signed a statement of support for Ukraine’s integration into NATO “as soon as circumstances allow”. It is the 22nd country to formalize support.
Before leaving for the Czech Republic – according to polls citizens are increasingly divided over their support for refugees and Ukrainian integration -, where he was received by his great ally Petr Pavel, Zelensky had the opportunity for a heated exchange with the Bulgarian chairman.
Rumen Radev, who has opposed sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Crimea in the past, opposed the transfer of weapons to Ukraine, not least because “the conflict has no military solution” and “more and more weapons do not will solve”.
Bulgarians watched the reaction of the Ukrainian leader live. “God willing that no tragedy befall you and that I stand in my place. And if people who share the same values don’t help, what are you going to do? I would say: Putin, please take over Bulgarian territory? No, you, as a real president, I’m sure you wouldn’t allow yourself to surrender to independence.” And before Radev asked for the broadcast to be stopped: “You cannot support Russia and support a balanced position, because Russia wants to destroy NATO, it wants to destroy Europe and the European Union; these are his goals. to understand?”.
Source: DN
