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Sofia ruins traditionally strong relations with Moscow.
Written by Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher
Bulgaria, alongside Poland and Germany, plans to train the Ukrainian armed forces as part of a European Union mission. Bulgarian, American and British instructors will train Ukrainian soldiers across several training grounds in the Balkan country, an act that deepens the rift between Sofia and Moscow despite being traditional allies.
“The Bulgarian government declares its readiness to contribute to the mission. The training will take place on the territory of Germany, Poland and a number of other European Union countries,” the press service of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence announced.
According to the European External Affairs Service, 12,000 soldiers from Ukraine will undergo basic training, while 2,800 military personnel will be sent for special training in these three countries. As the Russian armed forces is effective in destroying training grounds and neutralising foreign specialists, it was decided that training should take place in Europe.
Bulgaria was likely chosen because there are large training grounds where more than 10,000 soldiers can exercise at the same time. The training will last two to three months and Ukrainian soldiers will learn how to handle weapons used by front-line infantry. In addition, the American and British special forces will teach them certain warfare tactics.
During the exercises, Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in command and control, providing medical aid, tactics, demining, combating cyber threats, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defence. With the completion of training, the soldiers will be immediately sent to the front. This is where the biggest challenge will occur as the Ukrainian soldiers will be thrusted to the front line despite not having any real combat experience, and will also likely be away from the majority of their foreign trainers and advisors.
This kind of European Union mission, along with large military-technical and financial assistance to Ukraine, is drawing the EU deeper into the conflict. Although some leaders from NATO member countries claim that they are not participants in the conflict, the training of Ukrainian soldiers on their territory suggests otherwise.
Despite the European Union being an economic bloc, its actions have effectively made it a military participant in the Ukraine conflict. The European Union Assistance Mission Ukraine (EUMAM) has a mandate of two years and includes many programs, such as training courses in various member states, especially in Germany and France, where Ukrainian soldiers will be trained to use artillery, rocket launchers and air defence systems supplied by the Europeans.
According to the German newspaper Die Welt, the mission’s annual costs will amount to 54 million euros. Money to train Ukrainian soldiers is sent by the so-called European Peace Fund, which is directly financed by EU members. In addition, French Vice-Admiral Hervé Blejean was designated as the commander of the mission.
None-the-less, the announcement of Bulgaria’s involvement comes as only earlier this month, 175 out of 240 MPs voted in support of sending weapons to Ukraine. According to Balkan Insight, the vote marked a rare case of opposing parties, such as GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms on one side, and We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria on another, voting in unison.
Only left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party and far-right Revival MPs voted against the decision. Although the Bulgarian Socialist Party has threatened the coalition’s unity if weapons are sent, investigations have found that Bulgaria is already transferring weapons to Ukraine through third countries, mainly Romania and Poland.
Essentially, although Russia is traditionally friendly to Bulgaria, even being the reason why the country achieved independence from the Ottoman Turks to begin with, Sofia is deepening its ties with NATO and the US by supporting the Ukrainian military.
Besides now being hostile to a traditional ally and friend, Bulgaria’s anti-Russia actions, such as sanctions, is also affecting the cost-of-living crisis in the country, as well as inflation.
The National Statistical Institute (NSI) said Bulgaria’s consumer prices rose by 17.6% year-on-year in October, compared to an annual increase of 18.7% recorded in September. The average annual inflation rate in the twelve months to end-October is 13.8%.
Consumer prices in Bulgaria have risen by 15% in the year to date, according to NSI. In October, prices in the food and non-alcoholic beverages category, which have the largest weight in the consumer basket, increased the most — by 26.3%. Prices of goods and services in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels advanced by 24.2% compared to October 2021, despite registering a 2.1% drop compared to September.
Effectively, Bulgaria is prioritising the Ukrainian military and imposing the US’ hostile policies against Russia rather than deal with its own economic situation. The very fact that Bulgaria is contributing to the arming and training of forces wanting to kill Russians is one that has deeply divided the country and will likely affect relations with Moscow well beyond the duration of the current conflict.
It’s going to be hillarious when all this is over and Ukraine is fully Russian. Then what? Are you going to attack from your own borders? From Poland? Romenia? I’m looking forward to see Borrell’s face when his prophecy about this conflict being solved in the battlefield actually becomes true. Just not in the way he envisioned.
The United States and their vassals, the EU and NATO, they are deluded, very deluded, even stupid entities.
i am turk Erdogan is very corrupt a snake and terrorist he must go away he is dictator.
Romania does not want Ukronazis on its teritory.
80% of Romanians openly claim Ukraine should accept Russia terms and cut the crap, end the destructions!
Romanians would be more happy to steal NATO fuel, trucks etc. and scrap the hardware for metal 😎.
Romania is training Ukrainian paramedics for Ukrainian first responders stupid. Romania does not side with the Russians.
It will repeat again Ukraine soldiers and US UK Bulgaria regular soldiers pretend dressing as Ukraine soldiers have suffer heavy loss of life because human wave and cannon fodder tactics, sad US and UK will sell their widows and daughters as prostitutes and sex slaves in US and UK.
To do what? Put together all the pieces of blown up AFU ?
i am turk Erdogan is very corrupt a snake and terrorist he must go away he is dictator..
Yea, fully agree. More than 80% of romanians also claims the historic romanian territories now inside Ukropizdan to be back on the motherland, I mean north Bucovina, south Moldova Bugeac, ALL Danube Delta, Snake island. Fuck KUKrainii !
Every Romanian who is not brainwashed wants what is right, i.e. the stolen Romanian territories
When Ukrainian men are sent out of Ukraine, can they run away or claim political asylum as war objectors in Germany and Poland? Russian needs to kill these training camps. If I was Russian soldier and Putin allows these camps to exist in the open, I would be pissed. Putin is playing games if he allows stuff like this to go on while putting Russian soldiers in danger.
you have to understand that this is another blatant provocation just as destroying the Nordstream Pipeline, the attack on the Kirch Bridget, and the intentionally fired missile into Poland to start WW III. I think the soldiers of Russia are intelligent enough to conceptualize this.
Bulgarian is a NATO member, and Russia is very cautioned about this. Russia is playing a very intelligent war chess game. This coming Winter Russia will remain us how Soviet Union acted in WWII.
Orcs torture a Belarusian for desertion. The video was taken from the phone of a Russian man shot dead in the direction of Kherson. Watch: https://t.me/c/1665085369/1388
Notice how man7 of these Countries backing the Nazis in Ukraine are the same Nazi trash who supported Hitler,now they have crawled out of the toxic swamp they fester in,this time Russia finish the job
Yes, Sweden (phoney self-enriching neutrality), Norway (big iron ore transport payoffs), Denmark (self-occupation treaty with the Third Reich), Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. Then Bulgaria (Hitler’s oilfields), Romania, Germany, Italy, Spain, France (got played by Britain once again, then plenty of Vichy collaborators). Hungary was quite in the Axis, but this time sitting on the fence a bit due to oil and gas supply issues. Swiss neutrality has always been self-enriching, but it seems even that faux-neutrality doesn’t extend beyond Western Europe, certainly not to the East.
Then we have USA (Kennedy, Ford, GM, Rockefeller/Standard Oil, IBM, Hitler’s banker Preston Bush). And of course UK (British royal family, creators of the Nazis, based on their Satanic occult practices, financed by them, dispatched a prince to Germany to get National Socialism off the ground). Anglo-Saxon sidekick Canada, always along for the ride, safe haven for Banderites and Nazis alike). Holland (royal family still intermarries with Argentinian Nazi families, some members were SS officers, etc).
It’s disgusting. And yet the populate is too entertained with cat videos to see their true face.
well now according to the “rationale” of Zelenzky, the odd piano player, these training grounds are legitimate targets. Zekensky claims Crimea as a legit target so why would the Russians not think of the training grounds in Poland, Germany, and Bulgaria in the same way? Because the Russians are not interested in starting WW III ! Zelensky the obscene bufoon is.
No, it is cheaper to have the fight come to you than extend the war… Is Iron better with or without the added metals? Cast Iron and wrought iron sort of suck..
Everyone hates the Russians for their invasion of Ukraine. Its good to help Ukraine indirectly. Russians will pay hard for what they did. They will be pushed out of Ukraine just like in Kyiv , Kharkiv and Kherson.
ROFL
NAZI UKRAINE had the LARGEST NATO TRAINED ARMY IN EUROPE before Russia entered, and it is completely DESTROYED by a Russian force that consisted of no more than 130,000 to 190,000 Russian troops which has only RECENTLY been increased by another 300,000 troops and you think training some 16 year olds and 60years old civilians is going to do any better ROFL.
=Z=
I suspect these losers can do better than us americunts
How is this not considered an outright act of war
Three months training is very basic! So it sounds like a rushed job. Also the numbers involved are not so big there will be many problems with these training programs and when it comes to fighting on the front line this training in my opinion will make very little difference to the overall outcome. Russia is and will continue to make gains and over time the grinding operation against nato Kiev regime forces will be key to bringing this conflict to an end. Sad to see that the people of Ukraine continue to be used by Western governments as cannon fodder I pray that they will open their eyes to the reality of how Ukraine has been destroyed by international bankers and Western politicians
Actually, three months is exactly how long the basic training is in the bulgarian army. Mostly teaching the basics of how not to shoot your own leg with the venerable AK-47.
Bulgarian brothers stand strong with Ukraine to defeat russian orcs & avenge Bucha!
Typical ukro trash … low iq, uncivilized, aggressive (physically and mentally), what the heck, all the “qualities” a prehistoric caveman could have …
Yup, 12k of them.. If one has served, they will be drafted into this clusterF and sent out ASAP.
Bulgaria was always a back stabber in its history !! Did the same to Serbia, Grece, Turkiye !! Its a Gypsy shithole and NATOs koksucker !!!
Turkey deserves to be backstabbed.
Or you call it Bulgaria, or Romania, it is the same shit. Weak and soft peoples both sides of the Danube, always. Congenital and historic betrayers.
Keep your trash for yourself… don’t talk on behalf of others
It will repeat again Ukraine soldiers and US UK Canada regular soldiers have suffer heavy loss of life because human wave and cannon fodder tactics, sad US and UK will sell their widows and daughters as prostitutes and sex slaves in US and UK.
Bulgarians couldn’t fight their way out a wet paper bag.
Just feed them Ukrainian soldiers some of that Bulgarian goat cheese and they will become as powerful as Popeye when he eats his spinach.
ESTARAN PREPARANDO ENTRENANDO A FUTUROS TERRORISTAS ANTIRUSOS ??
SI SE PUEDE BOMBARDEAR A RUSIA POR QUE NO SE PUEDE BOMBARDEAR A LAS PERRITAS DE LA OTAN POR ENVIAR A SU GENTE DISFRAZADOS DE UKRONAZIS A MATAR RUSOS ??
Maybe we shouldn’t have saved your asses from the Turks after all…
54 million euros could have reduced fuel poverty for the cash cows in europe. The management at the EU doesn’t care about their people. They will happily drive every one of them into poverty and war.
It’s time to fight, but not with Russia because our real enemy is closer to home.
EU Bruxelles staff is another cabal mob-like organization full of bandits, crooks and spies. Most of them are fajoos themselves or fajoos slaves.
Bulgaria like Romania are whores of the JUSA deep state cabal imperialism; despite the fact that the majority of its population support Russia. How is that possible ? Very easy. All is done by the traitorous intel services who are clowns of the west. And those services who in reality are appendices of shithole kikejoos CIA manipulate ALL political life in the country. Off course, it’s only one side of the coin. The other side is the stupidity of the people. Weak and soft peoples who are diddled every fucking elections. But same things happen in the americunt lands. Same things are applied here: the secret services are running both main ‘opposite’ parties and mimicry always some sort of dispute to fool the big masses of idiots.
When peoples get bored, hey, what’s up boys ?, a new little party emerge who is also lead by spies and ‘securisti’ (former commie secret intel now rebranded in national intel service) to channel citizens angry. And when taught they really are getting out of hand the process just PLAINLY rig the elections throw theirs STS-like voting system (just like in JUMERICA). STS means Special Transmission Service, a division of the state intel. Just that plain simple. There is NO real peoples will ! Only scams, thievery and corruption everywhere. And off course, A WEAK AND SOFT STUPID NATION.
Don’t confuse a nation with their current political calss
>>Bulgaria is prioritizing the Ukrainian military and imposing the US’ hostile policies against Russia rather than deal with its own economic situation. <<< Yes, seems that lots of EU/European countries these days follow the ''call of NATO'' and as such the situation and wishes of their own citizens are second to supporting Ukraine… That way the real face of democracy is clearly shown…
People in Bulgaria are going to give coordinates of the consentration of naziz to there Russian friends. Sabotage, poisoning the food…..etc etc….
Having the capicty to train thousands is a fa cry from actually having thousands to train.
Bulgaria, one of the big small arms suppliers, commits to sending over 12k to the Ukraine.. because there isn’t 12k in the Ukraine to train (,but they will be taking females for the concubine trade).. Just sayin’ (my re-interpretation). Yup, do it while you can, because the mRNA shots have set the clock in action…
Thats great but in the modern battlespace people running around on t he ground giving off a lot of heat against a zero-degree celsius background just makes them stand out better for the thermal imaging targeting systems. Can they be trained to run 60MPH for 100 yards? The infantryman might not be obsolete jut yet but that day is coming sooner rather than later