Bulgarian President Rumen Radev discovered himself lectured by his Ukrainian visitor Vladimir Zelensky on Thursday, after telling him that Sofia had no weapons to spare for Kiev. As TV cameras documented their assembly, Zelensky attacked Radev for advocating a diplomatic resolution to the battle.
“I don’t agree to supply ammunition, particularly from the Bulgarian military reserves,” Radev informed Zelensky, in accordance with one of many translations. “I proceed to take care of that this battle has no army resolution and increasingly more weapons won’t resolve it.”
Zelensky objected to Radev’s use of the time period “battle,” insisting that “that is positively a conflict.”
“God forbid, some tragedy ought to befall you and you ought to be in my place,” he added. “And if individuals with shared values don’t assist, what’s going to you do? You’d say: Putin, please seize Bulgarian territory?”
“I additionally wish to inform you, no matter your military has when it comes to munitions, it won’t be sufficient to combat with the Russian Federation. You don’t have a foul military, your individuals are good however it might not be sufficient to combat in opposition to 160 million individuals. That’s the reason it’s good to present the individuals to defend themselves, in order that the conflict doesn’t come to you, to the Poles, to the Romanians – conflict is aware of no distance, I can inform you,” the Ukrainian chief informed his host.
“You can not help Russia and help a balancing place as a result of Russia desires to destroy NATO, desires to destroy Europe and the European Union; these are their targets. Do you get me?” Zelensky informed Radev.
Based on Politico’s description of the incident, Zelensky “savaged” Radev and “opened up with each barrels” to “maul” the Bulgarian president, delivering his phrases “with measured scorn” and “barbed irony” as Radev “took refuge” within the sheet of paper in his fingers. The Bulgarian president finally requested the cameras to depart the room.
NATO international locations have despatched billions of {dollars} price of weapons, ammunition and gear to Ukraine since February 2022, whereas insisting they weren’t immediately concerned within the battle with Russia.
Earlier within the day, Zelensky met with the federal government of PM Nikolai Denkov, who has solely been in workplace for a month. Denkov’s cupboard helps promoting weapons to Kiev. The Ukrainian delegation departed Sofia for Prague, on board a Czech air power transport.
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