Bulgarian president vetoes donation of armored vehicles to Ukraine

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Monday vetoed the bill for ratification of an agreement on donation of 100 armored transport vehicles to Ukraine, which was adopted by the National Assembly on Nov. 22, reported Xinhua.

According to the agreement, "the Bulgarian party shall provide free of charge armored transport vehicles with the weaponry that goes with them, as well as spare parts for their maintenance, which are no longer needed by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria, to the Ukrainian party."

"As the head of state and supreme commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria, I am obliged to pay attention to the possible negative consequences of this decision," Radev said in a statement published on the Presidency website.

According to the reasons accompanying the bill, Bulgaria's donation should no longer be needed by the Ministry of Interior, Radev said. "I believe that this circumstance has not been sufficiently examined by the members of Parliament," Radev said.

"The wartime tasks assigned to the Ministry of the Interior are not taken into account," Radev said.

The president also said the vehicles planned to be donated to Ukraine could be used for the protection of Bulgaria's border and for helping the country's population during disasters and accidents, including in hard-to-reach areas.

A majority of more than half of all members of the National Assembly is needed to reject the presidential veto.