Bulgarian president vetoes deal to send armored vehicles to Ukraine

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has vetoed an agreement to send more than 100 armored vehicles to Ukraine, Radio Svoboda reported on Monday, citing the president’s press service.

The agreement was concluded between Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry in August and was ratified by the Bulgarian parliament in late November.

The armored vehicles Sofia intended to send were manufactured approximately 40 years ago, and the Bulgarian Interior Ministry has referred to them as “outdated.” However, Radev has argued the weapons could still provide use in the country in areas such as border protection.

“I’m acting under the conviction that the safety, health, and lives of Bulgarian citizens must be our top priority,” the president reportedly said.

Bulgaria’s president has the power to override Radev’s veto with a majority vote, but it’s unclear whether lawmakers plan to do so.