SOFIA. Jan 17 (Interfax) - Bulgaria is not yet able to hand over the armored personnel carriers it had promised to Ukraine because it expects its allies in NATO to pay for their delivery, the Bulgarian National Radio said on Wednesday.
"It is already clear where the loading will be done and where they will be delivered to. It is a serious logistics operation. We also know what the amount [of money] needed for it is, and it would be acceptable for our budget, but first we would like to try the Ramstein format, perhaps some of our friends and allies would not just say it's a good idea, but also pay for the delivery," the radio quoted Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev as saying.
"If there is no one wishing to do so, we will look for other financing options, but ask our allies if necessary," he said.
The agreement on the free-of-charge provision of Bulgarian armored hardware to Ukraine was signed between the defense ministries in Sofia on August 8, 2023, and in Kiev on November 13, 2023.