SOFIA ā Bulgarian President Rumen Radev drew criticism from the United States on Monday for his remarks about the status of the Crimean Peninsula ā a day after he secured his second term with a landslide victory in a runoff election.
The U.S. Embassy released a statement voicing ādeep concernā over Radevās recent comments in which he referred to Crimea as Russian. The peninsula was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, and NATO and the European Union both consider it still to be part of Ukraine.
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In a presidential debate with his center-right opponent Anastas Gerdzhikov on Thursday, Radev insisted upon having pragmatic ties with Russia, adding that the EU should restore its dialogue with Moscow.
āThe sanctions that were imposed because of Crimea and Ukraine are not yielding results,ā Radev said. He said the Crimean Peninsula was ācurrently Russian,ā adding, āWhat else can it be?ā
These remarks had already prompted protests from the Ukrainian government.
āThe United States, G-7, European Union, and NATO have all been clear and united in our position that, despite Russiaās attempted annexation and ongoing occupation, Crimea is Ukraine,ā the U.S. Embassy said.
āAll of us, including Bulgaria, declared at the Crimea Platform Summit in August that Crimea is an integral part of Ukraine and that we do not and will not recognize Russiaās efforts to legitimize its illegal seizure and occupation of the peninsula,ā the statement said.
Also on Monday, Radevās press office recalled that the president has repeatedly said that Crimeaās annexation violated international law.
āThis is a position which Bulgaria has expressed clearly in all international organizations,ā the press office said and added that from a legal point of view Crimea belongs to Ukraine, and Bulgaria has repeatedly declared its support for Ukraineās sovereignty and territorial integrity.
āAs President Radev said in the campaign debate, ācurrentlyā Crimea is controlled by Russia and it is crystal clear that the problem cannot be solved by force,ā his office said and added that Radev has expressed concern about this factual situation āwhich creates tension in international relations, particularly in the Black Sea region, which has a direct bearing on the security of Bulgaria and its allies.ā
Bulgaria is very divided in its loyalties. While it belongs to NATO and the EU, many Bulgarians still feel a cultural and historical affinity with Russia. The Black Sea country remains heavily dependent on Russian energy and has been exposed to growing tensions between Russia and the West.
With nearly all ballots counted, Radev had 66% of the votes in the runoff election, the countryās central electoral commission said Monday.
His opponent, Anastas Gerdzhikov, conceded defeat and congratulated Radev, who will begin his second term on Jan. 22.