Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, known for his pro-Russian views, has exercised his veto power to send back to parliament the legislation ratifying an agreement for Bulgaria to provide Ukraine with 100 old BTR-60 armored personnel carriers, as reported by BNT.
The veto cites insufficient familiarity among legislators with the specific parameters of the donation, hindering their objective evaluation of the necessity of the provided equipment.
Rumen Radev emphasizes the overlooking of both wartime assignments entrusted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the needs of the Border Police and Fire Safety and Population Security Departments.
The head of state contends that the transferred “high-mobility armored vehicles” manufactured about 40 years ago could safeguard Bulgaria’s borders and aid the population in case of disasters and emergencies, including in hard-to-reach areas of the country.
“I am guided by the conviction that the security, health, and lives of Bulgarian citizens must be the top priority. Examples of floods in Karlovo and Tsarevo recently underscored the reliance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the capabilities of the Bulgarian army for timely and effective fulfillment of legislatively mandated missions. Instances where civil protection services encounter such challenges are becoming more frequent, necessitating their reinforcement rather than weakening,” expressed the president.
