Tsoncho Ganev, an MP for the Revival party, told a briefing in parliament that his party wants an immediate halt to weapons exports to Ukraine and to financial aid for Kyiv.
"We call on Rumen Radev to ban at once any export of weapons, shells, anything linked to Ukraine," Ganev said.
The party also wants Bulgaria to stop sending money to Ukraine and to pull out of international deals on financial aid for Ukraine. Ganev said the budget sets aside and pays out 34 million levs, plus 17 million euros, for Ukraine.
Ganev said the argument that Bulgaria does not export weapons directly to Ukraine does not hold up, since Ukrainian officials have thanked Bulgaria for its support many times. He said the government bears direct blame for making Bulgaria an indirect party to Russia's war on Ukraine. He added that President Iotova has so far refused to call a meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security.
On the two ships, Ganev said Bulgarian authorities reported one was sailing south and the other north. Without offering evidence, he suggested the attack might have been carried out by Ukraine rather than Russia, whose strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure have continued since the full-scale war began in February 2022.
Ganev said Varna hosts a NATO command centre and US bases, and that naval and combat drones could be launched from Bulgaria. He said Bulgaria's role in sanctions on Russia and its weapons exports make the country vulnerable and draw it into Russia's war on Ukraine. He called the situation serious and said there have already been casualties.
Russia has been waging a full-scale war on Ukraine since February 2022. "In August we were hit by a Ukrainian drone, at a spot that matters a great deal for Bulgaria — a gas distribution site," Ganev said. He gave no evidence to back his claim about where the drone came from.
Revival says the ruling parties are acting surprised, as if something unforeseen had happened. Ganev pointed out that less than two weeks ago the government and President Iotova backed a UN declaration condemning Russia.