Bulgaria says it will not join new €70 billion EU aid package for Ukraine
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that Bulgaria will not participate in a proposed EU financial aid package of €70 billion for Ukraine. The refusal places Bulgaria alongside Slovakia and Hungary, and echoes Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia's earlier refusal to fund an existing €90 billion EU loan for 2026–2027 — a loan Bulgaria had actually joined. At an EU summit on 16 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested at least €70 billion in additional support for 2027, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged a €70 billion gap that partners must help close.
Key points
- Bulgarian PM Rumen Radev said Bulgaria cannot take part in providing the €70 billion in new EU aid for Ukraine.
- Zelensky asked the European Council on 16 October for at least €70 billion in additional support for 2027 for defence and weapons.
- The EU approved a €90 billion loan for Ukraine for 2026 and 2027 last year; Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia declined to finance it, while Bulgaria did participate.
- Slovak PM Robert Fico said on 17 October that Slovakia and Hungary will not join the new €70 billion initiative.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the €70 billion gap is real and must be partly covered by partners.
- On 14 July, Radev announced Bulgaria would no longer participate in the 'coalition of the willing' format.
- Radev said the war is exhausting European economies and that a result cannot be achieved by military means.
Why it matters
Bulgaria's refusal expands the bloc of EU member states withholding financial support for Ukraine, joining Slovakia, Hungary, and others. The shift is notable because Bulgaria had participated in the earlier €90 billion EU loan for 2026–2027, suggesting a reversal in Sofia's position even as Ukraine is asking the EU for an additional €70 billion for 2027. By coupling the refusal with calls for EU diplomatic negotiations with Russia, Radev has added a political dimension to a financial decision, raising the prospect of further fragmentation among EU members over how to sustain support for Kyiv.
What happened
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that Bulgaria will not participate in a new EU financial aid package of €70 billion for Ukraine. Speaking to journalists in the small town of Tvarditsa, as reported by BTA, Radev said Bulgaria 'cannot in any way' take part in providing the funds. The package had been requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a European Council summit on 16 October, who asked EU leaders to allocate Ukraine at least €70 billion in additional support for defence and weapons in 2027. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged the €70 billion gap and said it must be partly covered by partners. On 17 October, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico added that Slovakia and Hungary would not join the new initiative either. The refusal marks a shift for Bulgaria, which had taken part in financing the EU's existing €90 billion loan for Ukraine for 2026 and 2027, from which Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia had opted out. Radev has previously called on the EU to conduct diplomatic negotiations with Russia to end the war and prevent a nuclear strike, and on 14 July he announced Bulgaria would no longer participate in the 'coalition of the willing' format.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language outlets led with Bulgaria's refusal and foregrounded its alignment with a growing group of EU states — Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia — that have stepped back from financing Ukraine. They framed Radev's accompanying remarks about the war exhausting European economies and the need for diplomacy with Russia as the justification Sofia offered for withholding support, presenting the announcement as another sign of EU-wide reluctance to back Ukraine financially.
How international sources describe it
The single German-language source framed Bulgaria's refusal against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, giving the decision an explicitly geopolitical context. It kept the focus on Radev's announcement and did not emphasize the broader pattern of other EU states declining to participate.
Background
The request for €70 billion in additional EU support followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's appeal to EU leaders on 16 October for funding for defence and weapons in 2027. It comes in addition to a €90 billion EU loan approved last year for 2026 and 2027 — a loan that Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia declined to finance, while Bulgaria did participate. On 17 October, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia and Hungary would also stay out of the new €70 billion initiative, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the €70 billion shortfall must be partly covered by partners. Bulgarian PM Rumen Radev has separately called for EU diplomatic negotiations with Russia to end the war and prevent a nuclear strike, and on 14 July he announced Bulgaria would no longer participate in the 'coalition of the willing' format.