Bulgaria promises to overcome presidential veto on 100 armored personnel carriers for Ukraine

5 December, 2023 BTR-60PB-MD1 armored personnel carrier on parade in Bulgaria, 2006. Photo credits: wikipedia The ruling majority in Bulgaria's parliament plans to override the presidential veto of the transfer of armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.

Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov stated this. "This veto will be overridden, so I don't see what to comment on," the Prime Minister shared briefly. Delyan Peevski, Head of the parliamentary group Movement for Rights and Freedoms, was more emotional when commenting on the presidential veto.

"President Rumen Radew's decision to veto the delivery of armored vehicles to Ukraine can be described in one word - shame," he said.

BTR-60PB-MD1 armored personnel carrier on parade in Bulgaria.

2006. Photo by Kiril Kapustin

Peevski is convinced that the parliament will override the presidential veto within the current week. Mariya Gabriel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, emphasized that the decision to transfer the old armored personnel carriers to Ukraine had been agreed upon with all interested agencies and discussed in detail in the parliament itself.

That is why, in her opinion, there is no reason to believe that MPs will suddenly change their minds and agree to the presidential veto. In July, the Bulgarian parliament made a preliminary decision to transfer 100 outdated BTR-60 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. In November, the decision was finally approved.

However, on December 4, President Rumen Radew vetoed the bill passed by the Parliament.

Rumen Radew. Photo credits: golos.com.ua

This is not the first such incident in Bulgaria under this president. In 2019, Rumen Radew vetoed a deal to purchase F-16 fighter jets.

At the time, the parliament managed to override the president's decision, and the resolution to override the veto was passed by 128 votes of the 240-seat parliament.