Bulgaria signals willingness to open airspace to Putin, despite ongoing tensions and support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.
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The Bulgarian Foreign Minister announced that Bulgaria is ready to open its airspace to Russian President Vladimir Putin, preceding any official announcement from the Kremlin. Georgiy Georgiev stated the need to assist peace efforts in every possible way and questioned how a meeting could occur if one party cannot reach the location. He also suggested a summit in Budapest might not be necessary. Georgiev expressed hope for sustainable peace in Ukraine but noted Russia’s lack of effort, referencing recent Russian drone and missile attacks. Bulgaria supports sanctions against Russia and emphasized that decisions about Ukraine cannot be made without considering Ukraine itself, assuring that his government will provide all means to protect Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. In response to inquiries from the press regarding contact with Bulgarian or other nations concerning Putin’s flight, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aleksandr Gruskov stated it was too early for such discussions. Bulgaria previously closed its airspace to Sergei Lavrov in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, but later permitted his flight over the country in 2023 for an OSCE meeting; however, Lavrov ultimately flew via Greece because his spokesperson remained on Bulgaria’s blacklist, which caused a noticeable reaction from Moscow.
