Bulgaria Withdraws From Coalition of the Willing Supporting Ukraine

Bulgaria has formally withdrawn from the international Coalition of the Willing, becoming the first nation to leave the group of countries coordinating support for Ukraine. Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced the decision following a summit of the coalition in Paris on July 13, stating that his country would no longer participate in an alliance focused on continued financial and military aid. The move reduces the coalition's membership to 34 countries, including Ukraine.

Radev, who took office in April, argued that the conflict cannot be resolved by prolonging military action and that determined diplomacy offers the only path toward ending the fighting. He said Bulgaria has exhausted its capacity to provide additional military support, having previously supplied 13 packages of aid. Since coming to power, his government has halted the provision of free military assistance to Kyiv, though commercial arms sales have reportedly continued. Bulgaria had been a member of the coalition since 2025 under the previous government, focusing its contributions on areas such as Black Sea demining, logistical support, and a commercial agreement for drone production signed in March 2026.