SOFIA – Europe must continue to plan its next steps in ensuring a just and lasting peace in Ukraine in a collective and coordinated manner. This was stated by the Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov during a videoconference meeting of heads of state and government, the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Council, and NATO. The meeting was at the invitation of the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to the government press office.
Together with our European and transatlantic partners, Bulgaria is ready to participate in the decision for peace and security, he pointed out. Zhelyazkov emphasized that Bulgaria welcomes the outcomes of the negotiations between the USA and Ukraine in Jeddah, including the proposed agreement for a ceasefire and the renewal by the USA of intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine. The Prime Minister informed the meeting participants that Bulgaria aims to align its defense sector activities with broader European defense initiatives to better contribute to Europe’s and NATO’s security and strategic autonomy.
The Bulgarian position is that the USA must remain in all security formats; without the USA, Europe is weak, said Zhelyazkov earlier this month before the extraordinary meeting of the European Council dedicated to security and Ukraine. He expressed hope that the USA would remain committed to collective security based on values. The Bulgarian Prime Minister talked in Brussels with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (March 15)