Arrr, Bulgaria be offerin' more booty o' military aid to our mateys in Ukraine!
2023-12-08
Arrr! 'Tis a fine day, mateys! The scurvy dogs in Bulgaria's parliament be grantin' more military aid to Ukraine! They be sendin' broken or useless cannons to Kyiv, so they can fix 'em or use 'em for parts. Avast, what a jolly good idea!
In a hilarious twist that seems straight out of a 17th-century pirate's tale, Bulgaria's parliament has approved the provision of additional military aid to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. Arrr! A majority of 147 lawmakers in the 240-seat chamber have voted in favor of supplying Ukraine with portable anti-aircraft missile systems and surface-to-air missiles of various types to boost their air defense capabilities. However, it seems these missiles may be as useful as a peg leg, as military experts claim they are either defective or redundant, and cannot be repaired in Bulgaria. But fear not, for Ukraine has the necessary facilities to fix them or use them for spare parts. Shiver me timbers!Unfortunately, not all the scallywags in the parliament were in favor of sending aid. Some 55 lawmakers from pro-Russian groups voted against it, highlighting the divisions in the Balkan country over helping Ukraine counter Russia's invasion. Bulgaria, once a member of the now-defunct Warsaw Pact, joined NATO in 2004 but still holds stocks of Soviet-designed weapons. Ahoy, mateys!
But the fun doesn't stop there! The parliament has also approved the use of Bulgarian airspace for training Ukrainian F-16 pilots, and up to four rotating infantry or mechanized Ukrainian army units will be allowed to transit or stay in Bulgaria for training. In a separate vote, lawmakers have overridden a veto by the country's pro-Russian president and approved providing Ukraine with 100 Soviet-era armored personnel carriers and available armament. Avast, ye scurvy dogs!
President Rumen Radev, however, has repeatedly opposed Bulgaria's military aid to Ukraine, fearing it would diminish Bulgaria's own defense capability and "risk involving Bulgaria in the war." But it seems the winds of change have blown in a pro-Western government, as Bulgarian lawmakers have voted in favor of aiding Ukraine's military several times before. In September, they even approved supplying Ukraine with defective surface-to-air missiles and discarded ammunition. Yo ho ho, the times are a-changin'!