Bulgaria has reacted sharply to statements voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a propaganda documentary that Romania and Bulgaria allegedly contributed to the tensions that eventually led to the war in Ukraine by allowing American military bases on their territory.
This was reported by Euractiv with reference to a statement by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, Ukrinform reports.
“The Russian Federation’s attempts to shift responsibility for starting the illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine onto other countries, including Bulgaria, are completely unacceptable and constitute a gross manipulation of the facts,” the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry stressed.
Bulgarian diplomacy recalled that Bulgaria’s accession to NATO is a sovereign decision based on the will of Bulgarian citizens and legitimate democratic processes.
“This decision is dictated by Bulgaria’s aspiration for lasting security, stability and peace in a regional context. The strengthening of the deterrent potential of the member states is aimed at protecting the allied territory, is not a threat to any other country and is in full compliance with international law,” the Foreign Ministry noted, adding that Bulgaria remains firmly committed to its allied commitments within NATO and the principles of the European Union.
As noted, the main base for training the Bulgarian and U.S. military is Novo Selo. According to the agreement with Washington, no more than 2,500 civilians and uniformed American military can be stationed there. Over the years, this number has not even come close to this number.
Romania, on the other hand, is building a huge base, Mihail Kogelniceanu, which is located not far from Bulgaria and will be larger than Ramstein in Germany.
As Ukrinform reported earlier the Romanian Foreign Ministry responded to Putin’s accusations of escalating the conflict in Ukraine. Diplomats stated that the only country that threatens regional security in Europe is the Russian Federation due to its illegal and unprovoked war, marked by numerous war crimes against the civilian population in Ukraine.
In the propaganda documentary “Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years,” aired by the Russian state TV channel “Rossiya-1,” the Kremlin leader claimed Romania and Bulgaria had contributed to the tensions that led to the war in Ukraine by hosting American bases on their territories.
Source: Bulgarian Foreign Ministry rejects Putin's accusations of escalating conflict in Ukraine
