Position of the Atlantic Council of Bulgaria:
On March 8, 2025, President Rumen Radev declared himself against the EU plan “Rearm Europe“ – ReArm Europe, whose goal is to mobilize up to 800 billion euros for our common European defense in an increasingly insecure world and in the face of the threat of a neo-imperial revanchist Russia.
This move by Radev serves not Bulgarian, but Russian interests. By declaring himself against building a strong defense of Europe through ReArm Europe, he practically supports the strategy of the Russian aggressor. This is the interest of the state that has declared us an enemy. Russia is pursuing a long-term revisionist and systematically aggressive policy and, if it is not stopped in Ukraine, tomorrow it will certainly attack other countries in Europe, including EU and NATO countries.
Russia is the most serious and direct threat to our security and only a united, strong and rearmed Europe can stop it. A stronger Europe militarily means a stronger North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in which European countries will assume a greater burden within the framework of collective defense, corresponding to their economic capabilities. And this, in turn, is a key prerequisite for a lasting and solid commitment of the United States to the defense of Europe in the future, in the new conditions of the begun redistribution of burdens in the Alliance.
Rumen Radev has actually declared himself against all of this. Whose interests he is defending is already very clear. This interest is definitely not the Bulgarian one. It is even more important now to realize what kind of person is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces under the Constitution today?
With this position, he not only declared himself against ReArm Europe, but also against Bulgaria's opportunities to rearm and modernize its army using the huge financial resources of the EU in the coming years. What kind of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is this, who does not want them to receive a huge financial resource for rearmament? Moreover, a clear logical contradiction is revealed in his words. On the one hand, he says: "I am in no hurry to join the fanfare regarding the European rearmament plan". And, on the other: "The modernization of the Bulgarian Army, the strengthening of the defense industry must be a primary, permanent, conscious commitment of every authority, and not wait for it to be given the direction from Brussels to think about them". This means that Radev wants the Bulgarian Army to be rearmed, but rejects a unique historical opportunity to do so with the help of EU funds.
Rumen Radev's position is strategically illiterate!
We call on the government to continue with its policy in support of ReArm Europe and to mobilize all its forces and energy so that the Bulgarian Army can benefit to the maximum extent from its technological rearmament, as well as so that our defense industry can receive maximum opportunities for implementing joint projects with other EU countries, NATO and Ukraine.
Long live strong Bulgaria in NATO and the EU!