PM Denkov after meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: The best way to reduce the risk is to help Ukraine

Prime Minister, Nikolai Denkov, met with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, in Brussels on June 29. After the meeting the two had brief statements.

Stoltenberg thanked Bulgaria for the assistance provided so far to Ukraine, both military and humanitarian, and said that the country was on the front line and therefore the challenges were greater. He also thanked the international NATO forces deployed and Bulgaria's role in the Black Sea repulse.

PM Denkov stressed that Bulgaria will do its best to meet NATO's request for 2% of GDP to go to defence and that this is included in the new budget.

The two also discussed the upcoming NATO leaders' summit in Vilnius. Stoltenberg explained that if necessary the Alliance would increase its presence on the Eastern flank, but for the moment this is not necessary.

"The risks became very visible when Russia invaded Ukraine because it was clear that for the first time since World War II someone in Europe was ready to violate the borders. Recent events do not change the picture much. We are exposed to the same risk, and the best way to reduce that risk is to help Ukraine, because Ukraine's victory - victory - in the sense of them regaining their territories - is the best way to protect the other countries in Europe, including Bulgaria. Regarding defence spending - this year it will be just under 1.90%, for next year we have planned 2% and this is included in the draft budget for next year", Nikolai Denkov said.

"The war in Ukraine did not start last February. It actually started in 2014. And since then NATO has taken serious steps and transferred serious forces to the Eastern flank. So we will continue to meet all needs and at the Vilnius meeting, it will be agreed to prepare new force structures to be able to react when and where needed," Jens Stoltenberg said.

Earlier, within the frames of the EU leaders' meeting, Denkov had invited experts from the Netherlands and Austria. It became clear that he had also spoken to the German chancellor and invited experts from Germany to see how the EU's external border is guarded and, if necessary, to involve German customs officers in the guarding.

This is being done in the context of Bulgaria's bid to join Schengen because, according to Denkov, there are problems with Bulgaria's credibility. It is the Netherlands and Austria that are the two countries that have not changed their decision to accept the country into Schengen.

Regarding the migration issue, Denkov said that we should also talk with Turkey. He is planning a visit to our southern neighbour.