A day after Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that Bulgaria does not belong in coalitions supporting Ukraine, reports emerged that Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova had signed the Kyiv Declaration. The scandal escalated immediately, prompting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to quickly deny that the minister had signed the declaration.
On 14 July, Prime Minister Radev stated:
“I believe Bulgaria’s place is not there, because we are not part of a coalition that advocates continued financial and military assistance to Ukraine. We are not providing such assistance because I believe the solution to this conflict does not lie in prolonging it through military means, but in a strong diplomatic mission that will finally put an end to the escalation.”
With this statement, he declined to join the Coalition of the Willing.
However, on 15 July, reports emerged that Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Velislava Petrova-Chamova, had signed the Kyiv Declaration, which condemns Russia’s aggression and pledges support for Ukraine. This is also confirmed on the official website of the President of Ukraine.
Below is the declaration itself. The highlighted sections mark key points – most of which Rumen Radev has previously spoken out against.
The declaration not only reaffirms the Coalition of the Willing, which Radev rejected, but also supports the Special Tribunal, which the Bulgarian Prime Minister has likewise opposed. The declaration also recognises all Ukrainian territories, whereas Radev believes that “Crimea is Russian.”
This sparked controversy in parliament, with the opposition accusing the government of lacking consistency in Bulgaria’s foreign policy. Petar Vitanov of the rulling party, Progressive Bulgaria, however, defended the decision, saying:
“Bulgaria […] reviews its commitments individually and its practical commitments on a case-by-case basis.”
Shortly afterwards, however, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), saying that Chamova had not signed the declaration. This caused even greater confusion and uncertainty over what had actually happened.
At the time of writing, it remains unclear whether or not Chamova signed the Kyiv Declaration on behalf of Bulgaria.
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