Bulgarian President Rumen Radev made remarks at odds with those of most of his peers at an EU summit on Thursday (February 9). He indeed called for peace in Ukraine while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should ask Brussels for more weapons in order to liberate the territories occupied by Russia.
Mr Radev has opposed sending arms to Ukraine, although the previous Bulgarian parliament managed to pass such a decision last November. He argued that sending weapons to Ukraine is equivalent to “putting out the fire with gasoline”.
Speaking ahead of the EU Council meeting in Brussels, where the Ukrainian head of state is expected as a special guest, Radev said: “It is time, one year after the start of this war bloody, to focus primarily on measures to end it, and to resume all diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution.”
He said that Bulgaria would continue to support the Ukrainian people in their country, “as far as we can”, so that they can get through the critical winter months. Bulgaria, he added, will continue to help Ukrainian refugees in the country “ according to its possibilities ”.
“ But I will call on the EU to use all its strength and all its means so that we can direct the debate towards the end of the war and the diplomatic efforts for peace ”, he added.
Nuclear Veto
Asked about a possible new wave of sanctions which could include the Russian civilian nuclear sector, he said that “Bulgaria cannot accept sanctions on the nuclear energy sector, as these would have a direct impact on our energy nuclear “.
“We are looking at all areas where [new sanctions] are possible. But when our interests are at stake, as in the field of nuclear energy, we follow these issues very closely. »
Regarding a possible new wave of sanctions that could include the Russian civilian nuclear sector, he said: “If necessary, we will impose our veto, yes. »
Referring to Bulgaria’s decision to send arms, he expressed the hope that “ the government will take measures so that this does not happen again ”.
The current government is an interim cabinet he appointed, and there will be no parliament until the snap general election on April 2.
“It’s a bloody war, and calls for peace are heard less and less often. We only hear the voice of arms, we only hear calls for victory, although no one can give the definition of what victory means,” Mr. Radev added.
Regarding migration, one of the three official themes of the summit, along with Ukraine and the economy, Radev said that this phenomenon “threatens the democratic foundations of our union”.
He explained that Bulgaria, whose application to join the Schengen area was blocked by Austria on the grounds that it was not prepared to adequately protect European borders, had invested heavily in terms of fences borders, technical border control systems and manpower.
Source: Euractiv
