Press service of Bulgarian President Radev: Ukrainian Crimea is under Russian control Radio BNR reports this.
Radev's press service explained that from a legal point of view, Crimea belongs to Ukraine, and Bulgaria has repeatedly expressed support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. However, the President noted that now the peninsula is under Russian control, and it is more than clear that the issue cannot be resolved by force. Nevertheless, they added in the Radev administration, the Bulgarian leader has repeatedly expressed concern about the situation, which leads to tensions in international relations, especially in the Black Sea region.
On November 18, Radev, running for a second presidential term, named Crimea is part of Russia in pre-election debates with its main opponent Anastas Gerdzhikov. He pointed out that foreign policy needs pragmatism, and the anti-Russian sanctions imposed over Crimea have no effect. The next day, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the Bulgarian ambassador to Kiev Kostadin Kodzhabashev and demanded to refute the words of the head of state. The Ukrainian department said that such statements do not contribute to the development of relations.
Crimea joined Russia in March 2014 following a referendum. The overwhelming majority of countries in the world, including Moscow's partners in the Eurasian Union, do not recognize the change in ownership of the peninsula. Afghanistan, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Syria, Sudan and Palestine supported Russia's position.