Bulgaria’s pro-Russian leader makes territorial claims on Ukraine; Kyiv responds

The Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria stated that it was outraged by the calls made by Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the pro-Russian Bulgarian party “Revival,” to annex “Southern Bessarabia” to his country. The embassy has made this statement.

Ukrainian diplomats are outraged by Kostadinov’s post in which he comments on Donald Trump’s statements about turning Canada into the “51st state of the United States.”

“It (Southern Bessarabia – Ed.) had been part of the Bulgarian state for more than 450 years. Bulgarians are the indigenous population of this territory (since the VI century) and still make up the majority of the population. For comparison, Ukraine has been in possession of Southern Bessarabia for only 34 years,” said the leader of the Revival party.

The pro-Russian politician stated that “Ukraine is falling apart” and suggested that Bulgaria should claim Bulgarian Bessarabia at the upcoming “peace congress that will decide the fate of the failed so-called Ukrainian statehood.” This claim plays along the Kremlin propaganda narratives.

In connection with Kostadinov’s statements about territorial claims to Ukraine and calls to annex “Southern Bessarabia” to Bulgaria, Ukrainian diplomats appealed to the Bulgarian authorities to condemn these words.

They emphasized that Kostadinov “incites the destruction of international law, distorts historical facts, and encourages the redistribution of borders in Europe.”

“The statements of the leader of the Renaissance party regarding territorial encroachments on Ukraine are unacceptable for a politician of an EU member state and confirm his systematic promotion of the Kremlin’s narratives,” the embassy in Sofia stated.

As noted by the Balkan Observer, the statements of the leader of the “Revival” party about the accession of the territory of North Macedonia to Bulgaria caused a sharp reaction from the leadership of the latter.

“Such malicious statements by officials of the Bulgarian political scene are a direct attack on the sovereignty, integrity, and independence of our country and at the same time directly contradict the norms and principles of international law, non-interference of states in internal affairs and politics for the sake of building good neighborly relations,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia said.

Bulgaria’s pro-Russian far-right Revival party is known for sending a delegation to Moscow in early 2024 at the invitation of Vladimir Putin’s party.

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov called the party neo-fascist because of the aggressive behavior of its leader and supporters.