Longtime military journalist Georgi Angelov stated in an interview with Bulgarian National Radio that he has not seen any genuine declarations from Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing a desire for peace. He noted that it is US President Donald Trump who insists on this claim. According to Angelov, Trump's goal is to present himself as a peacemaker ahead of next year’s midterm elections in the United States. However, he believes that even if a truce is reached, it will only be temporary.

Angelov also pointed out that the United States has likely restricted Ukraine's access to intelligence data. Meanwhile, lower-level negotiations over potential peace terms have been ongoing for some time. He recalled that Kyiv's earlier position was that it could withdraw from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics but would not give up Crimea. However, Angelov suggested that Ukraine now appears more open to territorial concessions, as the prolonged war is placing an increasing strain on the country.

The Kremlin has remained firm in its stance, refusing to retreat from its pre-war positions, Angelov said. He also speculated that NATO’s borders could become a subject of discussion and did not rule out the possibility that Putin might seek greater influence over countries he considers to be within Russia’s sphere of interest, which could directly impact Bulgaria.

Regarding disinformation, Angelov observed that in recent years, there has been a significant rise in narratives portraying Russia as an alternative to the West while depicting the Western world in a negative light.

Commenting on the "Rearm Europe" plan, he addressed the perception that investing in Bulgaria's military is viewed in contradictory ways—either as an act of betrayal if it does not happen or as taking away from the poor if it does. He stressed that strengthening European defense inevitably means strengthening the Bulgarian Army.

Angelov also raised the possibility that Bulgaria might eventually have to make a choice between NATO and the European Union. He noted that European defense still relies heavily on NATO, and the question remains whether the alliance will continue to include the United States in the long term.

Source: BNR interview