The Greek model (MARDER BMP-1) of arms delivery to Ukraine, to neighboring Bulgaria, has ignited a "fire", for this we had a loud intervention by the president and former A/GEA of the Bulgarian Air Force R. Radev.
He emphasized that "it is unacceptable that a large number of political parties in the country see the Bulgarian army not as a guarantor of the country's security, but as a donor to the armed forces of Ukraine."
This was stated by the Bulgarian president after getting acquainted with the analysis of the situation and the preparation of the Bulgarian Armed Forces in 2022.
"Some people think that giving the old Russian weapons will immediately solve the problems of modernizing our army.
The window is now closed, but the potential amount we would receive is nothing in front of the background required to re-equip the Bulgarian army.
Some countries (Greece) from these triangular agreements received 15 tanks, what is 15 tanks in the face of the need for new armament.
Second, it is a matter of replacing old equipment with old equipment of a different type.
Third, where there is no trade-off, we need to provide existing platforms and buy new ones.
That is, we have to pay for them and that is clear," Radev stressed, calling on politicians who criticize the government for not taking the opportunity to provide its old weapons to Ukraine in exchange for new ones according to NATO standards, to answer specifically what they will meant such an agreement.
"All those who insist that this exchange idea will solve the problems, please answer when and what kind of kit would we get in exchange, how and with what personnel would we maintain all this material and when would we be given the new weapons?
In the end how much would this whole plan cost us?
That is why I clash with the positions of many MPs, because I, as commander-in-chief, am obliged to insist that the defense force is not weakened, but maintained and developed," Radev pointed out.
According to him, "the misunderstanding on the part of the political class of the need to modernize the Bulgarian armed forces is the main problem.
"The real modernization of the Bulgarian military will only begin when a new National Assembly and a regular government take up this task. But this requires a lot of effort and time, and we are already late," the Bulgarian president said.
Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov commented that "we are late for the possible conclusion of the so-called 'triangular agreements' for the supply of weapons to Ukraine, and this decision should have been taken by a regular government.
With such agreements, there is no real modernization, only compatibility. We give soviet weapons and get old western ones. Hence the problem with logistics and training," Stoyanov pointed out.
The Bulgarian Army has been lagging behind for years and relies on NATO, and US donations of defense hardware.
At this time when Ukraine is looking for weapons, the Bulgarian systems are on the agenda, something that the Bulgarian president who comes from them, knowing first hand a lot about this issue, does not accept.
