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Bulgaria's President Iliana Yotova, who opposes further military assistance to Ukraine and advocates closer relations with Russia, has secured a five-year mandate, becoming the country's first woman elected to the presidency.
Yotova, 62, won 57.6% of the vote in Sunday's runoff, defeating former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who received 39.5%, according to official results released Monday.
Her victory also keeps the presidency politically aligned with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, whose Russia-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party backed her candidacy and holds a parliamentary majority.
Yotova has consistently opposed additional Bulgarian military assistance to Ukraine, arguing that the war cannot be resolved militarily and advocating a diplomatic settlement involving both Kyiv and Moscow.
She has called for a "coalition for peace" and a reset in relations with Russia.
During a televised presidential debate, Yotova warned that supplying Ukraine with more sophisticated weapons would lead to further destruction and casualties, insisting that "peace can only be achieved through negotiations."
She is also expected to support Radev's approach of improving relations with Moscow and seeking the lifting of sanctions against Russia.
Her position contrasted with that of Gyurov, who advocated stronger cooperation with NATO and European Union partners and signed a security cooperation agreement with Ukraine during his tenure as caretaker prime minister.
Despite her Russia-friendly positions, Yotova supports Bulgaria's membership in the EU and NATO, emphasizing that Sofia should retain greater independence in foreign policy decisions.
After voting Sunday, she described herself as a "president of peace" and called for a Bulgaria that makes its own decisions while remaining part of a "strong Europe."
Born in Sofia in 1964, Yotova began her professional career as a television journalist before entering politics through the Bulgarian Socialist Party.
She served in Bulgaria's parliament and later in the European Parliament before becoming Radev's vice president in 2017. The pair won reelection in 2021.
Yotova assumed the presidency in January 2026 after Radev resigned to enter party politics. His Progressive Bulgaria party subsequently won 131 seats in the 240-member parliament in April, securing an outright majority.
Although Bulgaria's presidency is largely ceremonial, the head of state commands the armed forces, can veto legislation and exercises certain diplomatic powers.
Yotova's election gives her a mandate of her own after nearly a decade alongside Radev, with her positions on Russia and Ukraine having emerged as defining issues in the presidential campaign.
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