Defence minister’s NATO stance creates new tensions

Defence Minister Stefan Yanev’s stance that there is no need to deploy additional NATO troops has created serious political tensions in Sofia. Prime Minister Kiril Petkov reacted immediately by saying the minister had expressed his personal position, which should not have been expressed in this way.

“My position is that such a debate, respectively an approach, has the potential to lead to an undesirable increase in tensions in the region. Moreover, at this stage, there are no grounds to consider the monitored processes as a direct threat to the Alliance and the relevant security zone,” Yanev wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.

The PM replied the next day, saying Bulgaria will continue to be an active EU and NATO member and that these kinds of decisions will be coordinated.

“Such a decision cannot be made with personal opinion. Such personal opinions are not expressed in this way. The best way to continue the policy of the European Union and NATO on our eastern border is to make maximum use of diplomatic means and peaceful means. It is in Bulgaria’s interest not to have martial law in the neighbourhood,” Petkov said.

At a meeting in Brussels with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on 17 December, Petkov announced that Bulgaria’s position on the Ukraine-Russia conflict is in full solidarity with the EU’s.

Yanev’s position was expressed after German newspaper Der Spiegel referred to its unofficial information that the highest-ranking NATO general Ted Walters had proposed the Alliance to establish a military presence in Bulgaria and Romania because Russian troops were being deployed near the Ukrainian border. NATO has refused to comment on the claim.

The pro-European Democratic Bulgaria party,  part of the ruling coalition, has demanded a parliamentary hearing with the military minister. “We believe that Bulgaria cannot afford to be in undeclared neutrality, which will be in favour of the expansionist policy in the Kremlin region,” said coalition co-chairman Hristo Ivanov.

The controversy takes place against the background of geopolitical tensions and accusations by Moscow that the West is beefing up military capabilities in Ukraine and Central European countries.

Traditionally Bulgaria has been internally divided between “hawks” and “doves” regarding Russia, although the country’s membership in NATO is not disputed among mainstream parties. Only marginal political forces advocate the country’s exit from NATO.

Stefan Yanev, a former army general, who has received training in the US and has served in NATO structures, can hardly be accused of being anti-NATO. However, his position can be interpreted that he represents those in the Bulgarian governing circles who do not see the need for additional NATO troops in such a tense international context.

There are already a limited number of US troops in Bulgaria at three bases under an agreement signed in 2006, under which no more than 2.500 US troops can be located in the country.

(Krassen Nikolov | EURACTIV.bg, Georgi Gotev| EURACTIV.com)