| Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (left) and his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Novak review the honor guard. Photo EPA |
Leaders of Bulgaria and Hungary say that providing more weapons to Kiev will not help solve the problem Russian-Ukrainian conflictinstead pushing for a diplomatic solution.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Novak on February 2 expressed concern about current developments in Ukraine, according to a press conference after high-level talks in Sofia.
“We are deeply concerned about the military situation in Ukraine. The conflict is increasingly serious, affecting not only the parties directly involved, but also negatively impacting the global economy as well as the global economy. threatens the entire economy of European countries,” – Tass quoted President Radev’s statement at a press conference.
The Bulgarian President further noted that the promotion of Western countries modern weapons aid to Ukraine certainly will not be able to resolve the current conflict. “The only way to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict is through a diplomatic solution,” Radev stressed.
For his part, President Novak said that there are currently no signals about the prospects for peace in Ukraine as the Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted for nearly a year. However, the Hungarian president said that Europe needs to make efforts not to escalate tensions, and find a solution to end the conflict “as soon as possible”.
In a related development, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the extent of Russia’s response to the West’s supply of tanks to Ukraine would not be limited to the use of armored vehicles.
“It’s hard to believe, but it’s true, once again we are threatened by German Leopard tanks. Once again they are trying to fight Russia in Ukraine,” – President Putin said on 2 / 1. 2 at an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s victory in the Battle of Stalingrad.
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| Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of retaliation against the West sending tanks to Ukraine. Photo: RT |
The head of the Kremlin further commented: “Those who are seeking to defeat Russia on the battlefield clearly do not realize that a modern war with Russia is completely different. We do not bring tanks to their borders. We will have other countermeasures, not limited to the use of armored vehicles. All must be aware of that.”
Explaining more about President Putin’s statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “President Putin’s latest warning means that Russia has potential and if Western aid weapons appear, Russia will maximize its available potential to respond in a special military operation”.
This is Putin’s first comment since the United States and a series of European countries pledged to donate hundreds of modern tanks to Ukraine.
Last week, Germany promised to deliver to Kiev 14 Leopard main battle tanks produced by this country, and to allow European countries that are using Leopard to re-export to Ukraine. The administration of US President Joe Biden also pledged to send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks after a period of delay, citing the relatively expensive Abrams, complicated operation and maintenance.
The decision to transfer tanks to Ukraine is considered a turning point in the aid policy of the West, which is concerned about the risk of direct confrontation between NATO and Russia. This is part of an effort by the US and its allies to help Ukraine break the stalemate on the battlefield now that the conflict has entered its 12th month.
Moscow warns that these tanks will be burned by Russian fire like other Western weapons on the Ukraine battlefield. Russia affirmed that the decision to aid the West with tanks is a dangerous act that will escalate the conflict but cannot turn the tide of the war.