European Parliament resolution slamming Bulgarian government’s weak response to Russia irks Radev
A resolution approved by the European Parliament in a vote on October 22 criticising the Bulgarian government’s weak response to the Russian threat in the Black Sea has irked Prime Minister Roumen Radev.
In the resolution, approved by a large majority – as The Sofia Globe reported earlier – MEPs hold Russia responsible for the attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, and also express concern over the Bulgarian government’s ambiguous handling of the Russian threat.
MEP regret Bulgaria’s weak diplomatic response to Russia and call on Radev to “match demands for allied solidarity with concrete action”.
They also urge Bulgaria to stop delaying its participation in Nato’s anti-drone initiative “Air Defence Capabilities Against Lower-level Air Threats”.
The resolution was supported by eight of the 17 Bulgarian MEPs, with two voting against and two abstaining, and three not present for the vote.
Radev, speaking to reporters on October 22, said that the European Parliament is, “unfortunately, being used as a tool by Bulgarian MEPs with limited political legitimacy in their own country to conduct a doomed election campaign at the national level”.
He was referring to Bulgaria’s regular presidential elections, the first round of which is being held on October 25. Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria is backing incumbent President Iliana Yotova, whose line of reluctance to blame Russia for the attacks matches his.
“And let me tell you about this unacceptable ignorance and manipulation. And our same MEPs are misleading their colleagues from the European Parliament due to their own ignorance and manipulativeness,” Radev told reporters, in indignant tones.
“Imagine, the European Parliament is ordering a sovereign state Bulgaria when to take what decisions. I mean by what date, within what period we should become members of the Nato initiative?” he said.
“The European Union is giving us an order to join the Nato initiative to combat drones, given that the Minister of Defence very clearly said when we would join,” Radev said.
“And most importantly. This initiative was introduced back in February 2025 and announced. Can you imagine? And the governments of these MEPs of ours did nothing for two years. And now they are telling us: ‘You do it on time’. Do you understand the whole bankruptcy?” he said.
Radev, referring to the vessel docked in Bourgas after having been towed there following a drone attack, said: “We are also waiting for the forensics from our investigators, we are waiting for the forensics from the specialist team that came here from our partner and allied country. The moment the conclusions of these expertise are released, we will inform you,” he said.
An example of Radev’s line is his statement in Parliament on October 14 that Russia has a motive to be behind the drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea, but Bulgaria cannot prove its guilt.
