16803 | 18 Nov. 2025 | 18:18

By the 1970s, our Air Force had nearly 600 aircraft, organized into aviation corps and divisions, as well as powerful tank and artillery units

Anton Gitsov

 - Si vis pacem, para bellum - If you want peace, prepare for war, goes the famous Latin saying attributed to Plato.

 There are many examples in history of countries that wanted peace but did not prepare for war, and paid a high price for it. After the First World War, the victorious France and Great Britain turned a blind eye to the rearmament of Germany after Hitler came to power. Great Britain and especially France did not prepare for war, sacrificing Czechoslovakia and Poland, but still could not avoid war. The Soviet Union was also unprepared for war, and Stalin was ready for any peace with Germany, resulting in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

 During the Balkan and Interallied Wars, Bulgaria had a strong army and was preparing for war because it was surrounded by powerful enemies. It lost these wars solely due to the wrong decisions of our imposed King Ferdinand.

 The Bulgarian army was relatively strong during World War II as well. However, after the irrational decision of Bulgarian rulers to declare war on the United States and Great Britain, Sofia and Bulgarian cities were subjected to bombardment by American and British bombers. Bulgaria, however, had its own squadrons of fighters that successfully defended its homeland's skies.

 During the Cold War and the opposition between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, Bulgaria was a frontline state, bordering two NATO countries - Turkey and Greece, and had a strong army, prepared for war, which ensured peace, especially in relation to the Southern flank of the Warsaw Pact. In the 1970s, our Air Force had nearly 600 aircraft, organized into aviation corps and divisions, and powerful tank and artillery divisions.

 After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, the Bulgarian economy was affected, which also had an impact on the Bulgarian army.

 In the first decade of democracy and peace in Europe, Bulgaria has been on the periphery of NATO. We are not surrounded by hostile countries and there is no need for massive investments in defense as the country has more pressing social and economic issues to address. There is no danger of being dragged into a war.

 However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world became unipolar, controlled by one hegemon - the USA. China is just starting to revive and Russia, under President Yeltsin, is only a "great power" on paper, but it has not lost its potential due to its huge territory, natural resources, and population.

 At that time, a decision was made in political circles in the USA not to allow the rebirth of Russia as a great power, and for this purpose, the "anaconda" grip was applied - suffocating it from all sides with NATO member states and their bases, and ultimately dividing this multinational country.

 The plans involve dividing Russia into parts through "Balkanization" and disintegration.

 However, these plans of the USA and their powerful and aggressive NATO allies were thwarted by Vladimir Putin's rise to power in Russia. 

 He is supported by political, military and influential economic circles, which support his efforts to restore Russia's status as a great power. He also has the support of the ordinary Russian people, who see a threat to their national security in the encirclement of Russia by NATO member countries.

 Gradually, all former countries of the Soviet bloc have been drawn into NATO, including nearby countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and steps are being taken to bring key countries like Georgia and Ukraine into NATO.

 The so-called Orange Revolution was provoked in Ukraine in 2004 and 2005, an event that Russians perceive as an attempt by the US to join Ukraine to NATO and lay the foundations for the disintegration of Russia.

 At the Munich Security Conference in 2007,  Putin sends a warning that Russia will not accept the expansion of NATO to its borders. Even Yeltsin, who was so loved in the West, declared his opposition to NATO expansion to the East.

 This is also the case with Gorbachev, who is accused of the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, in 2008, the US and NATO promise membership to Ukraine and Georgia. In 2008, a pro-American regime in Georgia makes the decision for the country to join NATO - a decision supported by the US, with the goal of surrounding Russia in the Black Sea region - an old idea of the British Empire from 170 years ago. This attempt is thwarted by Russia, which sends its troops to the country.

 In 2014, a coup takes place in Ukraine and a pro-American and pro-NATO government comes to power, declaring their desire for Ukraine to join NATO. On February 22, 2022, days before the war was to begin, Putin stated: We are categorically opposed to Ukraine joining NATO because it poses a threat to us.

 During the last three years, both Finland and Sweden have been drawn into NATO, from whose territories German troops attacked the Soviet Union during World War II, as well as Sweden, which despite its neutrality during World War II, supplied Nazi Germany with much-needed iron ore.

 The Russo-Ukrainian war, which began on February 24, 2021 as a "special military operation" by Russia against Ukraine, quickly escalated into a "proxy" war essentially between NATO and Russia, through the provision of massive financial, economic and military aid to the Zelensky regime.

 The USA and NATO operated under the assumption that Russia would not sustain such a prolonged and costly war, and would eventually admit defeat.

 But the Republican party came to power in the USA with President Roland Trump, who realized that Ukraine could not win the war and deemed it as a costly adventure for American taxpayers. He effectively discontinued the significant aid that the USA had previously provided to Ukraine.

 Trump accused both Zelensky and Putin of being unable to reach a peaceful agreement and cunningly used this argument to impose sanctions on Russia regarding exports of gas and oil to Europe and other countries. He simultaneously threatened sanctions against those countries that buy Russian gas and oil, providing them with an alternative to purchase these energy resources from the US, albeit at higher prices.

 At the same time, he told NATO member countries that if they want to continue supporting Ukraine with weapons, they can obtain them from the US, on the condition that they increase their military expenses to 5% of their internal gross product, just like the US does. What is the situation today?

 It is clear that Ukraine is losing the war, and America refuses to provide funding. President Trump doesn't care whether Russia wins the war, he accepts that under a peaceful agreement, Ukraine will have to give up the Russian-speaking territories of Donbass, Zaporozhye, and Kherson region, and that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO - Trump has even expressed the opinion that such an outcome of the war is inevitable.

 After that, new opportunities will open up for the US to have profitable trade relations with both Russia and Ukraine.

 However, this outcome is unacceptable for European leaders of NATO countries such as Stamer, Macron, Merkel, Polish Prime Minister Tusk, and the President of the EU, Ursula Von der Leyen. They have staked their authority in this war, refusing Russian energy resources and pouring enormous aid into Ukraine, which has resulted in recession in their own countries. They will be held accountable for the failure of their policies, which have led to economic stagnation.

 They continue to cling to the illusory hope that Russia can be brought to its knees without American help and therefore have increased their military spending as a show of force and a warning to Russia that they will not allow Ukraine to be defeated, even if it means direct war with Russia.
 
 The justification given to the population in these countries is that Russia will not only satisfy itself with victory and occupation of Ukraine, but will continue its military expansion to the West.
 

 Therefore, Europe is beginning to militarize and this wave of militarization is also flooding Bulgaria. Bulgarian "hawks" often quote the phrase "if you want peace, prepare for war."

 However, these words are supported by spending and commitments for weapons worth billions.

 Here's the breakdown: - Bulgaria paid $2.2 billion for 16 American F-16 fighter jets, $1.2 billion for Stryker armored vehicles, $1bilion lev Bulgaria to buy two military ships for lev, while the US State Department approved Bulgaria's purchase of the NSM (Naval Strike Missile) anti-ship missile system and related equipment for around $620 million.

 Bulgaria has requested to buy the system, which consists of three multifunctional Link-16 information distribution systems, tactical sea-to-sea missiles, mobile fire control centers, loading vehicles, a global positioning system receiver, and operator training consoles.

 Negotiations are also underway for deals worth hundreds of millions for three-coordinate radars, the "Iris" air defense system, and self-propelled French howitzers "Caesar."

 A visit by NATO's highest military chief, Chairman of the Military Committee Admiral Giuseppe Cavio Dragoni, is taking place in our country, related to projects for building bases in the regions of Kabile and Bezmer, as well as for constructing fast corridors for NATO's military mobility.

 The construction of a multinational division headquarters is planned there, where the existing NATO battle group will initially be stationed, capable of deployment up to a brigade or even a division when needed.

 The location has been chosen due to its proximity to an airport, port, and the "Novo Selo" training ground, as well as the existing railway and road infrastructure. The project is expected to cost at least 100 million euros.

 On July 23, the Council of Ministers approved a declaration by Bulgaria for a request under the "Europe Security Measures" instrument for a loan of between 2.7 and 3.06 billion euro to purchase new weapons for the accelerated rearmament of the army.

 There is a clear trend of accelerated militarization in the country, obviously with an anti-Russian orientation, without a rational and meaningful explanation being provided to the society. Such militarization is justified only if our national security is threatened, which is not the case. We are surrounded by Turkey, Greece, Romania, Serbia and Macedonia, countries that do not pose any threat to our national security.

 On June 3, 2025. The Minister of Defense, Atanas Zapryanov, stated at a forum in Sofia that military spending should be increased because "Russia is the most serious and direct threat to Euro-Atlantic security and we must be prepared to deal with long-term instability.

 This applies especially to our regional security in the Black Sea and Southeastern Europe." But such justification is just empty rhetoric, as neither he, nor the Bulgarian prime minister and Bulgarian "hawks" explain why and how Russia threatens "Euro-Atlantic solidarity" and how Bulgaria will deal with some imaginary "long-term instability" through rearmament.

 And most importantly - how and why will rearmament protect our regional security in the Black Sea and Southeastern Europe?

 Bulgaria is preparing for war, but in this case the maxim "if you want peace, prepare for war" does not apply. Bulgaria is not threatened by Russia, and there is no evidence that Russia is endangering our national security. On the contrary, the militarization of Bulgaria, the presence of American and NATO bases on our territory, the continuous NATO military exercises in the Black Sea with Bulgarian participation, and the significant financial and military aid provided to Ukraine in the war with Russia are perceived by this great power as a Bulgarian contribution to the threat to their national security.

 And in the event of a conventional war - we dare not even think about a nuclear one - Bulgaria will become a target, vulnerable and no American planes, ships or other weapons will be able to help.

 If Bulgarian rulers want to maintain peace with Russia, it is most sensible not to prepare for war. They should also not forget the Bulgarian proverb that when giants fight, the donkeys suffer.