Ukraine calls on Bulgaria’s incoming prime minister to maintain EU backing amid fears of a shift in policy.
KYIV: Ukraine has urged Bulgaria’s incoming prime minister Rumen Radev (pic), who has called for dialogue with Moscow, not to derail EU’s support for the Kyiv government.
EU critic Radev’s party won a weekend parliamentary election in a result welcomed by the Kremlin. It has raised fears he could supplant outgoing Hungarian leader Viktor Orban as the bloc’s chief frustrater of support for Ukraine.
Radev opposes Bulgaria sending arms to Ukraine — breaking with most other NATO countries — but has said he would not use his country’s veto to halt EU decisions.
In comments published Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga told reporters, that “as for Bulgaria, we want to proceed from the premise that the good-neighbourly relations track will be preserved.”
He added that Kyiv hoped “that Bulgaria’s position will remain consistent in terms of supporting Ukraine on many fronts: from territorial integrity to our membership in the European Union.”
Kyiv was relieved when Orban lost an election and was forced out of power this month, hoping it would unblock a much-needed 90-billion-euro ($105 billion) EU loan and allow Brussels to adopt more aggressive sanctions against Russia.
Moscow applauded the election of Radev, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters it looked “favourably” on his push for thawed ties with Moscow.
