Bulgaria will increase defense costs to 3.5% of GDP

Bulgaria aims to gradually increase defense costs to 3.5% of GDP by 2032. In this regard on Tuesday, June 3, the country’s Defense Minister said Zapryanov, quoted by publication Novinite.

According to him, the current level of financing of 2% of GDP, which provides that Bulgaria this year, corresponds to NATO’s long -term landmarks. At the same time, he admitted that it was not enough to fully strengthen the defense capacity.

The Minister explained that in order to successfully modernize Bulgaria’s defense forces, the government decided to gradually increase army costs to 2.5-3% of the GDP, and by the end of the decade -up to 3.5%.

Uzhnanov also emphasized that Russia is currently representing the “most direct and serious” Euro -ATLANTIC security threat. In this regard, Bulgaria is working on strengthening national defense as part of NATO’s collective approach and the general policy of security and EU defense policy. Particular attention, according to the minister, is paid to the Black Sea region.

It is expected that at the NATO Summit in June in the Hague of the Block member country will approve a new target indicator of defense costs – 5% of GDP.

At the beginning of the year, current US president Donald Trump called on NATO allies to increase defense costs to 5% of GDP, noting that many states still have not fulfilled a preliminary agreement at 2%. He emphasized that because of this, the United States will have to pay for the lack of funds, which, in his opinion, is “unfair”.