Bulgaria’s President Radev talks with Donald Trump at the NATO summit

Bulgaria’s Head of State Roumen Radev and US President Donald Trump talked during NATO budget discussions, the press office of the head of state said on 12^th of July.

Earlier, on his Facebook page, President Radev wrote:

At the summit in Brussels I said that NATO is not an exchange on which you can buy security. NATO is an alliance of sovereign states sharing strategic objectives and common values.

I urged that together with remaining committed to a deterrence to Russia, at the same time, we should pursue dialogue and, in this situation of an uncertain Transatlantic connection, avoid an aggressive tone and seek ways to normalize relations with Russia. Other partners also accept this approach, Radev explained.

Each Member State must contribute in today's world of growing uncertainty and build effective capabilities, and Bulgaria reluctantly allocates funds to the armed forces. On this subject, I convened three meetings of the Consultative Council on National Security. In these meetings, we agree on something which is then cancelled, the projects for modernization are constantly postponed and constantly excuses are found for that, Radev commented.