Ivaylo Kalfin criticized the country's neutral position

Former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin believes that at a time when Russia is seeking to annex even more Ukrainian territory, his state cannot maintain a neutral position.

He expressed this opinion in an interview with Bulgarian national radio BNR.

According to Kalfin, thoughts are emerging in Bulgaria and other EU countries that we should stop helping Ukraine and thus end the war quickly, but this means that Russia will quickly achieve its goals.

"Obviously, Putin's idea is to expand Russia's territory. I don't think there is an option in which this can be acceptable. And here Bulgaria should no longer be neutral. When it comes to the preservation of territorial integrity, there should be no doubt at all that Bulgaria accepts this principle of international relations," said the former foreign minister.

He explained that the matter did not concern Bulgaria's direct participation in the Ukrainian-Russian war as it was presented by Russian propaganda.

"We are not part of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Putin, having seen that he could not handle Ukraine easily, has already said that he is at war with NATO, and with the West. Russia has made NATO its imaginary enemy in Ukraine, which is not true," he explained.

According to Calfin, Russia has already lost considerable influence over international relations.

"One of the problems is that Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It is the most authoritative organization to talk about such issues, including the preservation of territorial integrity. By its behavior, Russia is eliminating this function of the Security Council, it can no longer act effectively," said the former Bulgarian minister.

Author - Olena Madiak, 26/09/2022