Bulgaria will not participate in the so-called "willing coalition," which brings together countries supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression. Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated on Tuesday in Paris that, in his opinion, the country has no place in this group. At the same time, he confirmed that he personally declined an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend Monday's summit.
"We are not part of a coalition that advocates for continued financial and military assistance to Ukraine," Radev said according to the Bulgarian news agency BTA and television channel bTV. According to him, the conflict cannot be resolved by prolonging military support, but through strong diplomatic efforts aimed at stopping escalation.
Radev was in the French capital during the Paris meeting, but did not attend the summit itself. He came to Paris primarily to celebrate France's national holiday and a military parade, which also featured Bulgarian guards. He also attended an evening reception at the Élysée Palace, emphasizing that his presence at the dinner did not mean membership in the coalition.
Monday's summit brought together approximately 25 heads of state and government from more than thirty countries involved in a broader format. The discussions focused on further support for Ukraine, future security guarantees, and preparations for multinational forces in the event of a ceasefire. Ten countries also announced the creation of a separate initiative aimed at joint European defense against ballistic missiles.
Some foreign media described the move as Bulgaria's withdrawal from the coalition. However, it is more accurate to state that the new government has refused to continue participation, which the country supported before Radev took office. Former Bulgarian diplomat Elena Poptodorova stated that Bulgaria was part of the format until May, but did not have a representative at the last summit.
This position aligns with the previous policy of Radev's government, which came into power in May after his "Progressive Bulgaria" coalition won the election. Defense Minister Dimitar Stojanov announced in June that Sofia would not provide Ukraine with any more weapons from its stockpiles. In 2024 and 2025, Bulgaria supplied Kyiv with armored vehicles, anti-tank weapons, mortars, and howitzers, among other things.
Radev also claims that Bulgaria remains active in the European Union and NATO, where he believes real decisions about collective security are made. The refusal to join the "willing coalition" does not mean that the country is leaving Western structures, but rather a significant shift in its policy towards Ukraine.
The Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš participated in Monday's meeting in Paris. He proposed a joint European air defense project called Europatriot, modeled after Airbus, and discussed with Macron the possibility of the Czech Republic joining a new coalition for defense against ballistic missiles.