The Daily Populous Wednesday July 15th, 2026 evening edition
Authored by vovworld.vn and submitted by lacerantplainer

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Rumen Radev speaks as he arrives for the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo: AP/Emrah Gurel)

Radev said he had received a personal invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend this week’s Voluntary Coalition summit, but confirmed that Bulgaria is no longer participating in the initiative.

He said Bulgaria is not part of the coalition providing continued financial and military aid to Ukraine, and said the conflict should be resolved through strong diplomatic efforts rather than prolonged by military means. Radev added that Bulgaria remains committed to fulfilling its security obligations to NATO and the EU.

The decision follows a series of policy moves since the April elections, which have distanced Sofia from the EU's stance on Ukraine. Last month, the government halted weapons transfers from Bulgaria’s military reserves, saying Bulgaria had already made a sufficient contribution and must now prioritize its own security and economic stability.

BananaLee on July 15th, 2026 at 10:51 UTC »

That's not very bangarangara of them...

Keanu990321 on July 15th, 2026 at 10:33 UTC »

We got Hungary back, at the cost of Bulgaria...

SkillPointProblems on July 15th, 2026 at 10:29 UTC »

The Kremlin’s check arrived.