Bulgaria’s Defence Minister, Todor Tagarev, has expressed support for former US President Donald Trump’s recent comments regarding NATO countries failing to meet their defence spending commitments. Despite the controversial nature of Trump’s statements, Tagarev defended the position, emphasising the importance of honouring commitments made by NATO member states.
“Mr Trump is on an election campaign, and his position is completely understandable. All countries made such a commitment already at the summit in 2014, that is, 10 years ago, and the fact that some have not yet achieved this 2 percent (of GDP for defence) is disturbing. We must all shoulder the burden together,” Tagarev said during a press briefing in Brussels.
While Trump’s remarks had triggered renewed calls for a European army from some European leaders, Bulgaria’s Defence Minister urged against the separation of Europe from North America. Tagarev stressed the need for unity within NATO and discouraged the idea of further divisions
“Bulgaria is among these countries. We are at 2 percent defence spending with the planned 2024 state budget and will spend that much in each of the following years until 2032. About a third of this budget is for investing in new combat capabilities, which is received quite well by our allies,” Tagarev pointed out.
He reassured the public, stating: “Not even one square centimetre of NATO territory will be given to an aggressor country.”
He highlighted the evolving geopolitical landscape, referencing Putin’s aggressive policies against Georgia and Ukraine.
“The environment is different. Putin’s aggressive policy against Georgia and Ukraine no longer surprises us. The large-scale aggression against Ukraine shows us that we must all prepare together,” Tagarev added.
Despite the concerns raised by Trump’s comments, NATO recently released spending figures indicating that a record 18 member countries, including Bulgaria, plan to meet NATO’s spending target of 2 percent of national GDP this year.
Bulgaria, a significant purchaser of US military equipment over the past four years, has committed to substantial defence investments. Notably, Bulgaria’s major purchases include 16 new F-16 Block 70 fighter jets for $2.3 billion and nearly 200 Stryker armoured vehicles from the US for $1.3 billion. Germany’s Lürssen is the sole European company involved in Bulgaria’s major military modernisation project, responsible for constructing two advanced patrol vessels.
