Bulgaria Denounces Russian Presidential Elections in Occupied Ukrainian Territories
Bulgaria has taken a firm stance against the recent Russian presidential elections held in the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing his best to influence policy-making in individual member states, particularly in Bulgaria, German magazine Der Spiegel wrote on Monday.
In an article posted in English on the weekly outlet's website and titled "Germany Worried About Russian Influence in the Balkans", Bulgaria is described as "almost completely dependent on Russian natural gas and oil" and "traditionally... closely allied with Russia and is almost completely dependent on Russian natural gas and oil."
Properties possessed by a significant number of Russians also seems to be a reason for concern in the German Chancellery's view.
"An internal report from the German Foreign Ministry notes that around 300,000 Russians have bought property in Bulgaria. Officials in the Chancellery are concerned that Putin could seek to instrumentalize the alleged interests of the Russian minority there," the article goes on. (Bulgaria's population is slightly below 7 million).
The cabinet in Sofia could "succumb to Russian pressure" to become a slacker of the EU's foreign policies "more often than it has done in the past", Der Spiegel notes.
Dedicated to Putin's plans in Southeast Europe and the wider region, the text also claims that Russia's head of state "appears prepared to promote Russian interests in his neighborhood economically, politically and, if necessary, militarily."
It also deals with varying opinions in Europe on whether sanctions should be retained against Russia or the bloc should rather be ready to make some concessions.
The West doesn't have much to offer in response to Russia's prospective activities, Der Spiegel notes.
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Brazen Bulgarian gangs "terrorise the elderly and rob them over their life savings with increasingly aggressive phone scams nettling millions of euros," according to an AFP story.
The prospect of US President Donald Trump's moving closer to Russia has scrambled the strategy of "balancing East and West" used for decades by countries like Bulgaria, the New York Times says.
Bulgarians have benefited a lot from their EU membership, with incomes rising and Brussels overseeing politicians, according to a New York Times piece.
German businesses prefer to trade with Bulgaria rather than invest into the country, an article on DW Bulgaria's website argues.
The truth about Bulgaria and Moldova's presidential elections is "more complicated" and should not be reduced to pro-Russian candidates winning, the Economist says.
President-elect Rumen Radev "struck a chord with voters by attacking the status quo and stressing issues like national security and migration," AFP agency writes after the presidential vote on Sunday.
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