Bulgaria PM sees ‘imperial ambitions’ behind Putin’s Black Sea comment

Vladimir Putin’s comment that the entire Black Sea coast used to be Russian betrays “imperial ambitions at the expense of several countries which are now in the EU” and should put Europe on its guard, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said on Friday (15 December).

Speaking to the press upon arrival for the second day of the EU summit mostly dedicated to Ukraine, Denkov was asked to comment on a statement made by the Russian president during his annual televised marathon talk show.

Putin lectured the audience about the history of Ukraine as seen by the Kremlin and, after a long introduction, made comments interpreted by the media in Bulgaria as a hint at possible territorial claims.

“The entire Black Sea coast became Russian after the Russo-Turkish Wars,” Putin said, possibly referring to the war of 1877-1878, after which Bulgaria was liberated from the Ottoman rule.

His assessment, however, is not true.

The Treaty of San Stefano, favourable for Russia and signed not far from the Bosphorus, was modified four months later by the Treaty of Berlin, which substantially reduced Russia’s gains, meaning the empire controlled only a small part of the southern Black Sea coast, and in any case, not an inch of the present Black Sea coast of Bulgaria.

According to the Kremlin narrative, what has once in history been part of Russia qualifies for a ‘return to the motherland’ in a state which knows no boundaries.

“If we look back over several years, we will find successive [Russian] statements containing imperial ambitions, and these ambitions are at the expense of several countries which are now in the EU,” Denkov said and continued:

“To a certain extent, this is not something new, but on the other hand, we must take such statements seriously, because if previously they sounded just like words, since recently they look like a plan for action, so indeed, we need to be very careful.”

Asked to elaborate what Bulgaria should do, he said:

“We need to look carefully what Russia’s next steps will be and make sure we are ready for them. A number of people, me included, say we must be ready, and I hope that the Bulgarian society will understand that we need to be alert in that sense.”

Part of the Bulgarian society, for historic reasons, nourishes friendly feelings toward Russia and some political parties exploit these attitudes to the profit of the Kremlin, the latest example being the ongoing attempts to prevent the demolition of the monument of the Soviet army in Sofia.

Asked if Russia would use the large number of Russian citizens who live in Bulgaria as an argument for territorial claims, he said he would not draw such a connection.

An estimated 300,000 Russian citizens have bought real estate in Bulgaria, mostly at the Black Sea coast.

Asked what measures Bulgaria should take, he said these are the integration of the Bulgarian army in the NATO structures, the modernisation of its armament, and the continued common training of Bulgarian forces with NATO troops.

“We need to be ready in case, God forbid, something happens,” Denkov concluded.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

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