“An idea that is very late. Extremely late,” Radev said, referring to Europe’s plans for negotiations. “I will be glad if Europe finally agrees to begin negotiations with Russia. Not only to begin. Europe should have been leading these negotiations,” the Prime Minister said in response to a question about whether a European leader should take on a role in talks with Moscow.

“What worries me is Europe’s striving to achieve a conventional victory over the largest nuclear power, without having the capability to intercept and counter Russia’s modern hypersonic weapons. This is a serious risk,” Radev added.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister warned of the danger of nuclear escalation. “When we talk about a nuclear umbrella, we must realize that what has been happening in recent days, and the desire at all costs to have peace through strength, may lead to nuclear escalation. We are already very close to it, and Europe must make a very rapid reassessment of its strategy and its approach to this conflict,” he said.

Radev stressed that Bulgaria has so far provided political, humanitarian, diplomatic and military support to Ukraine, but noted that in the new security environment Sofia must be cautious regarding future financial and military commitments. “Bulgaria has an interest, and our government’s first obligation is to guarantee the standard of living and the security of Bulgarian citizens. Only then can we think about allocating money for this purpose,” he said.

Regarding information that France is discussing changes to its nuclear doctrine and options for joint training with allies, the Prime Minister said that Bulgaria has not received an invitation to take part. According to him, the most important thing is for diplomacy to be restored as the leading instrument for resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.