Ukraine issue causes Bulgarian President to refuse to attend NATO Summit

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has rejected a government proposal to lead the country's delegation to the NATO summit scheduled for Washington DC in July, saying he was not consulted while Sofia set out the country's official position and its commitments regarding the war in Ukraine.

The information was announced by Radev's press office on June 27, after Bulgaria's acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said that Radev should lead the Bulgarian delegation. A Bulgarian government spokesman had previously said that both Radev and Glavchev would attend the summit in the United States, but it was unclear who would lead the delegation, according to RFE/RL's Bulgarian branch.

Radev’s refusal to lead or join the delegation was due to differences in Bulgaria’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, his press office said. It said: Radev “did not accept some provisions of the framework positions adopted by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers regarding our country’s commitments to the war in Ukraine.”

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (second from left) holds talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Sofia, July 6, 2023. Photo: EurActiv

There had been heated debates between the Eastern European country's "pro-Russian" and "pro-Western" political parties over whether President Radev, as Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Army, should represent the country at the NATO Summit.

Radev has been criticized by political opponents for his pro-Kremlin stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and for his public comments that he saw no military solution to the war and that sending military aid to Kiev would only prolong the conflict. He has called those who support military aid to Ukraine “warmongers,” according to the AP.

Bulgaria, one of Moscow's closest allies during the Cold War, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004.

Although the presidency in the Eastern European country is largely ceremonial, it provides a solid platform to influence public opinion. Polls show that a majority of the country’s population of about 6.6 million share “pro-Russian” sentiments based on historical and cultural ties between the two countries, according to surveys.

Minh Duc (According to AP, RFE/RL)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/van-de-ukraine-khien-tong-thong-bulgaria-tu-choi-du-thuong-dinh-nato-a670567.html