SOFIA – Bulgaria has reacted sharply to the Russian president’s statements in a documentary broadcast on the Russian state television Russia-1. In the propaganda film “Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years,” Vladimir Putin says that Romania and Bulgaria contributed to the tension that led to the war in Ukraine by hosting American bases on their territory.
“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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
It recalled that the country’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 authorities in Sofia also wrote, stating that Bulgaria remains firmly committed to its allied obligations within NATO and to the principles of the European Union.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry also reacted quickly to the statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The main base used for training the military of Bulgaria and the United States is Novo Selo. According to an agreement with Washington, no more than 2,500 civilians and uniformed American servicemen can be present there. This number has not even been approached over the years.
Romania, on the other hand, is building a huge base – Mihail Kogalniceanu, which is located not far from Bulgaria and will be larger than Ramstein in Germany.