The defeat of pro-Russian politician Viktor Orban in the Hungarian elections was a painful loss for dictator Vladimir Putin, who was left without a key ally in Europe. But the Kremlin leader wants to place his bet on Bulgaria.
Points of attention
- Former Bulgarian President Radev is a Putin sympathizer.
- He opposes aid to Ukraine and wants to restore relations with Russia.
Putin wants to move Bulgaria into Russia's orbit
Journalists point out that the Kremlin dictator has already tried to interfere in the elections in Bulgaria.
For example, Russian cyber troops did everything possible to promote the recently created Bulgarian political party of Rumen Radev, the favorite for the post of Prime Minister of Bulgaria, who is loyal to Moscow.
A wave of panic has gripped some European countries as Putin continues to try to split the EU.
Iliyan Vasilev, the former Bulgarian ambassador to the Russian Federation, commented on this matter:
The Russians are very, very interested in at least partially compensating for the loss of Orban in Hungary. It is more than likely that the Russians hope that Bulgaria will help fill this void.
What is important to understand is that before the elections in Bulgaria, Radev held a largely ceremonial position as the country's president, so he has every chance of achieving real influence on state policy.
Moreover, this Putin sympathizer opposed aid to Ukraine, not even hiding that he wanted to restore relations with Moscow.
For the head of the Kremlin, Bulgaria could become very easy prey.
