Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev pushed back against accusations hurled at him that he is "pro-Russian", arguing that he is only being vilified in this way because his recommended approach to a Ukraine-Russia peace deal is "not mainstream."
Radev has, since coming to power this summer, strongly advocated closer diplomatic engagement with Moscow to end its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this year, re-engagement with Russia over Ukraine was on the table, including discussions on potentially appointing an EU envoy for direct talks. However, the majority of the bloc warned that Russian diplomatic messaging shows zero genuine desire for peace, and the idea seems to have shifted back to the fringes of political debate.
"It is typical, and it is very sad, that if you divert from the political mainstream, you are labelled immediately as pro-Russian. This is not the reality," he said in an interview at Euronews' Defence and Space summit.
He went on to say that he "doesn't care" about supporting Russia, but that he values a "realistic approach and finding the road to peace as soon as possible, because this war drains our social and economic systems almost every day."
Radev insisted Europe should rebalance its "military, economic and diplomatic instruments," adding that he "doesn't see the right balance yet." He believes Brussels' approach is too focused on "weapons and money."
"Our main priority should be to speak and to work for peace," he noted, stating that the power of diplomacy has not yet been exhausted.
However, a short meeting last week between the German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York ended up in bitter recriminations, and the White House's attempts to achieve a temporary ceasefire have all failed.
Watch the interview with Rumen Radev at the Defence and Space summit here.
