Bulgaria faces political rift over signing Kyiv Declaration supporting Ukraine

Bulgaria and eight other South‑East European states signed the Kyiv Declaration with Ukraine, pledging a common stance against Russian aggression. Prime Minister Rumen Radev subsequently declared that Bulgaria would not join the “Coalition of the Willing” for Ukraine, stating the country lacks the capacity to provide such assistance.

Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova, however, signed a declaration at the Ukraine‑Southeast Europe summit expressing solidarity with Kyiv, reaffirming support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and condemning Russian aggression. The government maintains that Bulgaria will fulfil its EU and NATO commitments but will not provide bilateral military or financial aid.

Opposition parties and commentators have criticised the contradictory messages as a “political schism” and “anti‑European” stance, with EU parliament member Valeri Aie describing Radev’s remarks as “shockingly anti‑European”. The dispute highlights internal tensions over Bulgaria’s foreign‑policy direction amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.