Minister of Defense Stefan Yanov, has shown severe inadequacy with his assessments of the war in Ukraine from the very beginning. This was announced by the MP from „Democratic Bulgaria“ /DB/ Ivaylo Mirchev, arguing:
„On the first day after the start of the war in Ukraine, Mr Yanev was slightly confused by his assessments and what terms should be used. And we called on him to be more adequate. Last night in „Panorama“ he demonstrated that it was a case of severe inadequacy. I do not think that a Bulgarian Minister of Defense should behave in this way at a time when the civilized world is at war with a mad dictator.“
Despite the criticism, Mirchev assured that there is no discord among the ruling party. According to him, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov is doing very well in this complicated situation.
„I am worried that Mr. Yanev has not yet realized that there is a war in Ukraine at the moment. We are a NATO country, and Mr. Yanev is the Minister of Defense. As a general in the Bulgarian army and a Bulgarian officer, he cannot use Putin’s terminology.„, Mirchev explained.
It is normal for Bulgaria to accept allied battalion groups on its territories and „Democratic Bulgaria“ insists on this, he added.
„I do not think that Bulgaria has another choice because the army has not been paid attention to for decades, it is in a very bad condition. Тhis is something that we also need to improve in the coming years.„, he said, stressing the importance of ensuring the country’s sovereignty.
Mirchev also commented that there is a possibility in the 2022 Budget to allocate money for humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and talks are forthcoming in Brussels to clarify the mechanisms.
„There are some risks for the energy supply of gas in Bulgaria, but everything possible is being done to guarantee them. Discussions are being held with different countries and I hope this will not be a problem even if Russia decides to stop natural gas for our country.“, he commented on the situation with the potential energy crisis.
