'Don't care about supporting Russia': Bulgarian PM hits back against pro-Moscow label

The Bulgarian prime minister is principal among EU leaders calling for talks with Moscow over its war on Ukraine, earning him a pro-Russia label.

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."

Copyright for this text belongs to Euronews.