Bulgaria PM Kiril Petkov likely to visit Kyiv this week amid Russia-Ukraine war: Reports

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov will travel to Kyiv on Wednesday, April 27. He confirmed his travel plan to the Ukrainian capital during a television interview on Sunday. According to a report by The Sofia Globe, he will visit the war-torn county with a delegation from Bulgaria’s ruling coalition. He told bTV that the delegation would carry protective vests for the Ukrainian civilian population. "We expect to leave for Kyiv on Wednesday, where the trip would be a bit more special because there is a war. We will go to Poland next and from there I would not say exactly the route, but there is special preparation to travel at night and get to the capital," Novinite quoted the minister.

"The coalition must show support for Ukraine together, and being there is symbolic..." he added. 

Bulgarian PM denies Ukraine's request for weapons

Earlier on Saturday, while reacting about the supply of weapons to Ukraine, Petkov said that the country has some "red lines" and stressed, "it could not afford to cross that line". "For me, as Kiril Petkov, and not as Prime Minister, military assistance is absolutely justified. However, in these circumstances, I am the prime minister, I have coalition partners who have clear "red lines", and my task is not to play the most courageous of myself," Petkov was quoted by The Sofia Globe as saying.

Though the Balkan nation condemned the Russian aggression against Ukraine and supported the European Union sanctions against Moscow, it clarified that Bulgaria could not afford to join the US in supplying weapons to Kyiv. On Wednesday, April 20, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held several meetings with Bulgarian officials, seeking military aid. During the meeting, he urged Bulgaria to align with international efforts to support his country with military aid. "The Bulgarian government and Parliament know very well what the Ukrainian requests are...When you fight a war, you need everything; from bullets to fighter jets. We gave the same list to all NATO member states," said Kuleba. "I hope the Bulgarian government will consider all kinds of aid opportunities for Ukraine," he added.

(Image: AP)