Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Bulgaria will continue strengthening its defense capabilities and expanding its defense industry, describing the country’s role in the Black Sea region as increasingly important during the NATO summit in Ankara.
Radev welcomed the growing commitment of European NATO members to assume greater responsibility for the Alliance’s collective security, saying the changing security environment requires long-term investment. “Today’s summit is taking place at an important moment of profound transformation of the Alliance, which reflects the need and the ambition of the European member states to strengthen their contribution to NATO‘s common defense capabilities,” he said.
According to the prime minister, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated that European countries must take greater responsibility for protecting their own security. He said Bulgaria‘s efforts to modernize its armed forces would also strengthen stability across the strategically significant Black Sea region. “By strengthening our own national defense capacity, our country is becoming an important factor of stability in the critical and strategically important Black Sea region for the Alliance,” Radev stated.
He argued that meeting NATO‘s target of spending 5% of GDP on defense should extend beyond military equipment and include investments in infrastructure, transport connectivity, digital resilience and cybersecurity. Radev also welcomed the defense industry forum held alongside the summit, saying it provides an opportunity to reduce fragmentation within Europe’s defense sector and support the development of domestic military production.
On Ukraine, Radev said Bulgaria would continue providing financial, humanitarian, medical and military assistance, but only within the country’s economic means. He criticized previous governments for making ambitious commitments without ensuring sufficient resources. “Bulgaria will support Ukraine financially within our capabilities, without affecting social spending. We must also take into account the large deficit that the previous governments bequeathed to us,” he said.
Addressing Greenland, the Bulgarian prime minister said Europe should safeguard the island’s right to determine its own future. “Our position is that Europe must provide opportunities for the people of Greenland to self-determine,” he said, adding that he believes a practical solution can be reached while preserving existing security arrangements. Radev also expressed confidence that Europe remains united in supporting Denmark and does not expect the issue to escalate further.
Radev called on NATO allies to remain united while pursuing policies aimed at reducing global tensions rather than deepening them. He stressed that the Alliance must carefully assess emerging security threats and respond in a balanced manner.
Commenting on the war in Ukraine, Radev warned that continued confrontation between the West and Russia carries significant risks. “The collective West is trying to achieve a conventional victory over the world’s largest nuclear power without having the capabilities to counter hypersonic missiles. This dramatically increases the risk of a nuclear response. And this is extremely dangerous,” he said.
He concluded that the international community should focus on creating conditions for diplomacy as quickly as possible, arguing that lasting security can only be achieved through a sustainable and peaceful resolution of ongoing conflicts rather than continued escalation.