US Congress approves $40 million in military funding for Bulgaria

The United States Congress has approved nearly $40 million in additional foreign military financing for Bulgaria.

The funding is intended to assist in modernising Bulgaria’s military, bolstering Nato collective defence efforts in the region, and building capabilities and interoperability in Bulgaria to deter and defend against the increased threats to Nato in a critical region, the US embassy in Sofia said on October 7.

“The United States and Bulgaria are strategic security partners, and we are stronger together. This new funding will speed key modernization efforts for the Bulgarian military, which are crucial to the Nato Alliance goals of increased interoperability and enhanced collective security,” US ambassador Herro Mustafa said.

The funding for Bulgaria is part of a comprehensive assistance package, announced by US secretary of state Antony Blinken on September 8, to bolster the security of Ukraine and 17 of its neighbours, including Bulgaria, which are potentially at risk of future Russian aggression, the embassy said.