Bulgaria's Prime Minister to Participate in Paris Summit on Ukraine's Future

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov is set to join an extraordinary meeting on Ukraine, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting, scheduled to take place later today, will be held via videoconference. Bulgaria was invited by the Elysee Palace to take part in the discussions, which aim to address the future of Ukraine, following recent developments involving the United States.

The focus of the summit, which also involves other European leaders, is to explore potential roles and actions in Ukraine as the US has signaled its intention to open discussions with Russia in efforts to bring an end to the ongoing conflict. This gathering, which takes place amid growing international concern over the war, is viewed as a crucial moment for European cooperation on the issue.

While Bulgaria has made its position clear regarding the conflict, the government and parliamentary parties are united in their stance against sending Bulgarian troops to Ukraine. This stance was reaffirmed ahead of the meeting, with many political figures expressing strong opposition to military involvement in Ukraine.

In the context of Bulgaria's potential participation in a future military operation, the National Assembly has scheduled a session for Thursday to hear from the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs. Ministers Atanas Zapryanov and Georg Georgiev will address questions related to a questionnaire sent by the United States, inquiring about Bulgaria's capacity to contribute forces and resources to a potential special military operation on Ukrainian soil. This decision was made after significant discussions regarding Bulgaria’s role in any future military actions related to Ukraine.

The government has reiterated its non-interventionist approach, as the focus remains on supporting diplomatic solutions and exploring the broader implications of the ongoing conflict. Prime Minister Zhelyazkov's participation in the Paris meeting reflects Bulgaria's commitment to being part of the European dialogue while maintaining its policy of not engaging in direct military involvement in Ukraine.