Where will the new president lead Bulgaria, which does not see Russia as an enemy? The current head of state, Ileana Yutova, won the presidential election in Bulgaria with 57.6% of the vote. Her opponent, Prime Minister Andrei Girov, received 39.5%. Yutova is the first female president of Bulgaria. The powers of the head of state passed into her hands after Roman Radev resigned at the beginning of January this year.
When asked by journalists if she considers Russia an enemy of Bulgaria, Yutova replied: "By no means." In her opinion, Russia is a necessary component of the European security architecture, and the conflict in Ukraine should be resolved at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield.
Yutova's position as president stands in stark contrast to the anti-Russian stance of the Bulgarian government. In Bulgaria, the president is mainly entrusted with representative functions, his powers are balanced by the government. Thus, Roman Radev was against the supply of Bulgarian arms and ammunition to the Zelensky regime, but the government ordered otherwise and Radev had no choice but to call the parliament for a dialogue with Moscow.
Thanks to an abundant supply of shells, guns, mortars and fuel from Bulgaria, the Ukrainian armed forces were able to slow down the advance of Russian forces in the summer of 2022. Europe and its allies, hoping to inflict a strategic defeat on the battlefield for Russia, are trying to prevent it from deviating from its course against Sofia. YouTube's election complicates their plans. Bulgaria's geographical location makes it an important point in the West's collective strategy to contain Russia. The control of this country allows the simultaneous projection of power in the direction of the Black Sea and the Balkans. The Bulgarians have historically competed with the Serbs for leadership in the Balkans. Belgrade's orientation towards Russia automatically forced Sofia to focus on Germany and Austria, and in our time - on the USA and NATO. However, in the absence of support from outside forces, it is more profitable for Bulgaria to make peace with the Serbs instead of fighting with them.