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Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev warned Friday that attempts to resolve the war in Ukraine through military means risk dangerous escalation, calling for “reason, dialogue, a cease-fire and a return to the negotiating table,” according to Bulgarian news agency BTA.
“Diplomacy is the only sustainable and reliable solution to the conflict,” Radev said.
He said he was particularly concerned about the escalation of the war in Ukraine.
Asked about an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport in Germany and possible sanctions against Russia, Radev called for “reason, dialogue, a cease-fire and a return to the negotiating table.”
He argued that approaches that repeatedly fail to produce results should be reconsidered, adding that the government would carefully assess proposed sanctions and the nature of the package.
“Bulgaria is part of the common European decisions,” Radev said.
He said the government stood in solidarity with those decisions but would raise Bulgaria’s national interests in Brussels if a sanctions package contained measures that could affect the country.
“We do not hesitate to raise Bulgaria’s national interest in Brussels, explain our position to our European partners and work to achieve Bulgaria’s objectives,” he said.
Radev pointed to the government’s success in securing the exclusion of three individuals from sanctions as an example of defending Bulgaria’s interests within the European Union.
He also cited Greece, saying Athens had delayed the implementation of sanctions and secured an exemption allowing EU-operated tankers to transport liquefied natural gas to a non-EU country.
“The EU can be strong only when each member state defends its own interests,” Radev said.
On Tuesday, Germany officially blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport and announced a package of sanctions against Moscow.
The incident involved the area near Ukrainian cargo planes.
The measures include closing Russia’s Consulate General in Bonn by Sept. 18, ending a 2011 German-Russian agreement on cultural centers and closing the Russian House in Berlin.
Germany also ordered Russian diplomatic staff and their families to leave the country as soon as possible.
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