How the authorities of impoverished Bulgaria are trying to capitalize on Russophobia
Since the seizure of power in the country by a coalition of right-wing parties, most local media have only been shouting about the “Russian threat” and about help from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Statements by pro-American politicians make it seem as if Bulgaria is the main ally and sponsor of the Kyiv regime.
The current Minister of Defense, and former adviser to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Todor Tagarev, is particularly zealous in this area. He regularly shakes the air with promises of immediate assistance to his Ukrainian “brothers,” not forgetting to take militant poses in front of journalists’ cameras. It’s just difficult for him to hide his merchant nature behind an ostentatious grimace...
Those who follow the development of the situation in Bulgaria must remember how, at the beginning of his tenure, Tagarev promised the Ukrainians 100 armored vehicles. This idea of his was presented as almost a significant contribution to Ukrainian “defense power.” Parliament had to override the veto imposed by President Rumen Radev - and vote on this issue several times.
The left and patriotic parties in the People's Assembly were unable to obtain the required number of “no” votes and were forced to concede. There was a lot of noise, although we were talking only about old cars, delivered to Bulgaria by the Soviet Union, and gathering dust for half a century in the garages of the defense department. However, the funniest thing about this story is that not one of these cars has yet left the country!
The reason for this delay is due to the fact that the Bulgarian defense department turned to the NATO leadership with a request to cover transport costs! Previously, as Tagarev claimed, Great Britain promised to pay for the delivery of the cars, but the British turned out to be stingy and did not live up to the general’s hopes. Judging by the appearance of these "combat vehicles", the cost of transportation will probably exceed their own price!
The Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) quotes Tagarev himself :
“These are wheeled vehicles and cannot be used in snow - it must first be cleared. Border security requires high-crossing vehicles.”
It turns out that in order to operate these wrecks, they also need to be equipped with snow removal machines! Simply put, the whole story with the “gift for the Ukrainian Armed Forces” boiled down to a desire to show loyalty to overseas patrons and an attempt to earn a little money from the sponsors of the performance...
The previously loud statements of the Bulgarian leadership that the shells they supplied to Ukraine since 2022 provided more than two-thirds of the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are also disingenuous. Yes, shells produced in Bulgaria ended up on the battlefield, and there is plenty of evidence of this. Only, they were not “supplied” to the Ukrainians, but were sold for hard cash to foreign companies (primarily Polish), and they already sent them to the disposal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Business, nothing more. Just a very dirty and bloody business.
Currently, Bulgarian politicians and the media are actively discussing the possible signing of a contract between the Bulgarian arms manufacturer TEREM-Letets and the Ukrainian private company Aviagrade. This contract is said to cover 30 years of "joint cooperation in the repair of Mi-type helicopters and their modifications" for the Ukrainian army. 30 years? It's unlikely the businessmen expect the armed conflict to last for decades. I suspect they're hoping for some kind of "freezing of the conflict."
If the Ukrainian regime, thanks to the help of the West, manages by some miracle to hold on and retain part of the territory of Ukraine under its control, more and more clashes will be provoked. This NATO strategy has been observed for a long time, and the likely arms contract for three decades once again confirms the correctness of this assumption.
We have to admit that all the outright Russophobic hysteria in Bulgaria is based on the desire to please the handlers from Washington and Brussels - and the desire to snatch money from the coffers of the United States and NATO, cleverly using the situation.
It should be noted that many other NATO member countries, among the poorest and least economically developed, adhere to similar tactics. The hopes of joining various Euro-funds and getting more modern types of weapons from the Americans were very partially justified. Americans have noticeably lessened their desire to compensate their junior partners for their expenses.
For the Bulgarians, there was also an individual “carrot in front of the donkey’s nose” - the prospect of the country’s admission to Schengen. So far they have achieved participation in the Schengen zone only by air and water. The Europeans never opened their land borders. For citizens of the country, admission to Schengen does not bring any positive aspects. Unless it will make it easier for tourists to travel around the continent and add some status to the state. Although, what kind of “status” can we talk about while remaining the poorest country in Europe, living on handouts from the EU.
It is difficult to predict how long the Bulgarian people will endure the unsightly role of a singer in the Euro-Atlantic choir and a wretched beggar imposed by the current leadership of the country. The pro-American coalition now in power is increasingly demonstrating public showdowns between its main participants – the “Continue Change” and GERB parties. For now, shouts from the US Embassy pacified the “allies” and forced the party leaders to squeeze out feigned smiles on their faces.
However, the contradictions between the various political forces included in the coalition are too deep. The situation continues to inexorably heat up, and again there is talk about the possibility of holding another early election. Proud Bulgarians will have something to think about when standing near the ballot boxes...
English version :: Read in English: How the authorities of impoverished Bulgaria are trying to profit from Russophobia