Kristian VIGENIN

Resolution on reinforcing EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression and the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia

The Bulgarian S&D delegation, while recognising the need of full support to Ukraine, still has serious concerns about some provisions in this resolution that, in our view, threaten the prospects for peace and risk further military escalation and destabilisation with global implications. The call to grant Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles against targets within Russia, as well as to provide such weapons would escalate the conflict and potentially expand the war. The resolution also calls for NATO allies to collectively and individually commit no less than 0.25 % of their GDP annually to military support for Ukraine. That is neither realistic nor sustainable and goes well beyond the EP responsibilities, interfering with the sovereign rights of Member States to define their financial, foreign and defence policy, especially on such sensitive issue. Those key votes for our delegation have been lost, so we could not support the proposed motion for a resolution and voted against it as a whole.