Bulgaria rejects Putin’s claim it helped provoke Russia’s Ukraine war

Bulgaria has issued a sharp response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims that it bears partial responsibility for the war in Ukraine due to hosting US military bases. The statement was made in the documentary “Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years,” broadcast on Russian state television Russia-1.

In the film, Putin accused Romania and Bulgaria of contributing to heightened tensions by allowing American military presence on their territory, Euroactiv reports.

Responding to this, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated,

“The Russian Federation’s attempts to shift responsibility for starting the illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine onto other countries, including Bulgaria, are completely unacceptable and constitute a gross manipulation of the facts.”

The Ministry emphasized that Bulgaria’s accession to NATO was a sovereign decision rooted in the democratic will of its citizens. It added that the country’s defense posture is focused on regional peace, stability, and the protection of allied territory, and fully adheres to international law. Bulgaria also reaffirmed its firm commitment to its obligations within NATO and to the core principles of the European Union.

Romania also rejects Russian allegations

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also responded to the accusations made by Putin in the documentary, although its statement was not quoted in the report, according to Euroactive.

The Bulgarian-American base in question is Novo Selo, where a bilateral agreement with the United States caps the number of US personnel—civilian and military—at 2,500, a limit that has never been reached. In contrast, Romania is constructing the Mihail Kogălniceanu base near Bulgaria, expected to be larger than Germany’s Ramstein Air Base.