Bulgaria’s leader of the pro-Russian Revival party, Kostadin Kostadinov, is trying to get Ukraine to give back a part of its land. He says that Southern Bessarabia should be returned to Bulgaria because it was originally a Bulgarian region.
Kostadinov made these claims on his Facebook page. He said that Ukraine has only controlled the area for 34 years and that Bulgarians have deeper historical ties to the region than Ukrainians do. He even proposed presenting this claim at an international peace congress, where people could decide what should happen with Ukraine.
Kostadinov also wants Bulgaria and Macedonia to become one country. He says they share a common history, language, and culture, so it makes sense for them to be united. However, he compared this idea to something that is not good: the suggestion by Donald Trump when he was running for president that the US should take over Canada and get back some land in Panama.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Bulgaria did not like Kostadinov’s statements. They said they are wrong and go against international law. The embassy urged Bulgarian officials to condemn these claims because it is not right for a politician from an EU country to say things that could cause problems with other countries.
Bulgaria has been helping Ukraine by giving them aid since the war started, but there is still a lot of support for pro-Russian ideas in the country.