Bulgaria’s President: This Conflict has no Military Solution - Zelensky: This is not a Conflict but War!

In front of the Ukrainian president, his Bulgarian colleague Rumen Radev described the war in Ukraine, repeatedly calling it a "conflict" (and in most cases avoiding the word "war"). Later, Zelensky - who noticed what words his colleague chooses - added: "This is definitely a war."

In the opening words during their meeting, the Bulgarian head of state explained to Volodymyr Zelenski that "the conflict is expanding its spatial size, acquiring new dimensions", that "the hostilities are becoming more and more fierce, more and more people are dying, including representatives of the Bulgarian community". - a sensitive topic for Bulgaria, including "what is happening at the Zaporizhzhia NPP".

According to him, what is happening is turning into a "war of attrition", "a global economic clash that affects the economy not only of Ukraine, but also of all countries and increases social tension".

Radev made it clear that he feared for the reserves of the Bulgarian armed forces. In addition, "I continue to maintain that this conflict has no military solution, and more and more weapons will not solve it." He called for "paying attention to the consistent effort to de-escalate, to cease fire and to seek a peaceful solution through the means of diplomacy". "I know how difficult it is, but we must work (...), especially in light of the deep historical and cultural ties between our peoples."

In response to some of Zelensky's comments, Radev subsequently emphasized Bulgaria's support for Ukrainian European integration. "My appeal is that right now we are hearing the word victory, victory ... we would like to hear more and the word 'peace' and the leading effort should be for the word 'peace'." The head of state reiterated that not all means were used to achieve peace. "The dimensions (of the war) long ago left the borders of Ukraine." According to Radev, in the conditions of inflation and growing populism, "we have to think not only about Ukraine... but also about how the war affects Europe."

Zelensky to Radev: This is not a "conflict, but a war"

After President Rumen Radev called what was happening in Ukraine a "conflict", Volodymyr Zelensky responded: "I thank the people of Bulgaria for sheltering a large number of Ukrainians. Bulgarians know that this is not a conflict, but a war. People are fleeing a war that is happening on our soil. We know very well that this is not a conflict."

Regarding Radev's concern about "what is happening at the nuclear power plant", he added: "The occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP is also not a 'conflict'. It is a war for the exhaustion of Ukraine, for the slaughter of Ukrainians, not citizens of other countries."

"War knows no distance. God forbid, some tragedy should befall you and you would be in my place," continued Zelensky on the occasion of Radev's rejection of the shipment of armaments to Ukraine.

"And if people who have common values with you do not help you with arms, what will you do? As commander-in-chief and president, I am sure that you will not compromise. Me and you, we are the guarantors of the constitutions of our countries, to protect them, to transfer them to future generations.

It is your right not to support arms aid, but I am convinced that in the EU one day we will be together and I believe that Ukraine and Europe should have common values. One cannot take a balancing position vis-a-vis Russia. Russia wants to destroy Europe."

"Vladimir Putin isn't just waging war, he won't rest until he kills us. You can't negotiate with him. In 2014-2015, there were several agreements by which France and Germany included Russia for Ukraine. But Moscow's goal turned out to be buying time to arm itself to destroy us. There is no other reason. And we just want to live. I can still go on this topic."

After Radev's remarks about the need to more often seek a solution with diplomacy, Zelensky objected again: "What diplomacy should we still use?" He gave the example of the Zaporizhzhia NPP - a topic on which the "UN communicates with Russia", Ukrainian technical personnel work there, and Kyiv calls for demilitarization.

"The Russians seized the headquarters to provoke a crisis... What other diplomatic efforts? You can't explain that Ukraine is blocking something there." The next example was with the Ukrainian grain deal: according to him, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary General António Guterres "don't know what to do". "Russia is thinking every day how to keep the grain from going out. We do not control this corridor, Russia has seized it in violation of the law, in our territorial waters." "The UN can't come to an agreement with Russia. You see, that's the point."

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