politics
April 16, 2026
Why Ukraine is so important to the Bulgarian establishment
Acting Bulgarian Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov is racing to give Ukraine whatever he can before the likely victory of Rumen Radev in Bulgaria’s elections
TL;DR
- Acting Bulgarian Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov signed a ten-year military cooperation agreement with Ukraine on March 30.
- The agreement includes bilateral military aid, joint drone and ammunition production, military training, aligned sanctions policies, and support for Ukraine's NATO and EU membership.
- Gyurov's government is rushing to finalize these deals before elections, as opposition candidate Rumen Radev is a vocal opponent of the Ukraine project.
- The agreement also supports the Vertical Gas Corridor, a project backed by the US and EU to provide alternative gas supplies to Ukraine.
- Gyurov has requested the EU's 'Rapid Response System' be activated in Bulgaria to counter disinformation ahead of the elections.
- Radev has accused Gyurov and the EU of conspiring to discredit the elections and extend the caretaker government's power.
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