President Iliana Iotova: “We Cannot Give What We Do Not Have” Regarding Suspension of Military Aid to Ukraine

"We cannot give something we do not have," said President Iliana Iotova regarding the suspension of military aid to Ukraine.

Iliana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria: “The Defence Minister and the government are strictly complying with the decision of the National Assembly from December 2022, in whose provisions it clearly states that when there are quantities of armaments above what is necessary for the Bulgarian Army, Bulgaria may assemble and send them to Ukraine. I have no reason not to believe the Minister of Defence that at present there are no such available stocks in Bulgaria. We cannot give what we do not have or do not have in sufficient quantity. The priority is to ensure our own national security.”

Regarding her recent conversation with Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Iotova commented:

“We emphasised once again that we are not talking about a European consensus. There are agreements between North Macedonia and the EU which one day should lead to the country joining the European family. The Republic of North Macedonia has undertaken commitments, and these should be fulfilled. Part of these commitments includes the inclusion of Bulgarian citizens in the Constitution and the implementation of the Good Neighbourliness Treaty.”

Regarding the “Basket with Care” initiative, President Iotova siad:

“The timeframe is too short to say whether it is working well or not. For me, it will be important to track the supply chain and see where prices increase.”