Bulgarian leader criticizes bloc due to Ukraine policy

(MENAFN) Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has criticized the European Union's handling of the Ukraine conflict, accusing EU leaders of pushing unrealistic policies. Speaking at a forum in Sofia, Radev voiced concerns over Brussels' failure to address key issues like high energy prices, while prioritizing support for Ukraine. He questioned why Ukraine was encouraged to launch a counteroffensive with promises of defeating Russia, despite the unsuccessful outcome in 2023.

Radev also challenged the EU’s sanctions against Russia, questioning the repeated predictions of the Russian economy’s collapse, noting that Moscow is outpacing the EU in munitions production. He warned that the EU risks being sidelined in resolving the conflict by the US and Russia, and emphasized the need for swift diplomatic engagement.

The president also called for a reassessment of EU policies to balance economic growth, defense, and diplomacy, expressing skepticism about calls to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, a goal he believes some countries could not meet without sacrificing welfare programs. Radev's views mirror those of leaders like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

MENAFN08022025000045015687ID1109183710