Bulgaria’s prime minister Kiril Petkov has launched a campaign asking Bulgarians to donate a month’s salary to a fund for the Ukrainian government following a row about military aid.
“I call on every Bulgarian citizen who really wants to help Ukraine to donate a salary like me. Words are easy, deeds are difficult, it’s time for Facebook posts to become funds for Ukraine,” he wrote Monday on the website.
The call comes amid a rift in the ruling coalition over whether Bulgaria should send weapons to Ukraine. The Socialist Party is opposed to the proposal and has threatened to quit the alliance over the issue.
“Until we reach this political consensus, as citizens of Bulgaria who believe that no one in Europe has the right to attack their neighbors and kill civilians, we are free to choose to help Ukraine financially to purchase ammunition,” the prime minister said.
The coalition will discuss the issue at a meeting this week and a Bulgarian government delegation is scheduled to visit Kyiv on Wednesday.
“Military aid is not necessarily one of two extremes – it’s not just shells or helmets. Let’s understand the real needs of Ukraine and, as an informed coalition, unite around important concrete needs that we can all stand behind,” he wrote.
Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov claimed that Bulgaria had been unofficially exporting weapons to Ukraine since February.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been trying to shore up military aid for his country among NATO and EU members.
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