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Bulgaria had long been perceived as a satellite of Russia. In Soviet times, it was often called the sixteenth republic, and Moscow always counted on the support of Sofia.
Until recently, this trend continued - Bulgaria refrained from harsh assessments of Russia's behavior in the international arena, vetoed Romania's idea of forming a NATO flotilla in the Black Sea, and waited for Russian tourists and investors, handing them Bulgarian passports for investments of over one million euros.
This is changing right now. The government of Kiril Petkov has set out to help Ukraine counter Russian aggression. However, it is not as simple as might be seen - the coalition includes a party that opposes such support and blackmails the collapse of the coalition. And an attempt to provide weapons to Ukraine has put the coalition on the brink of collapse.
Trend change
Bulgaria's first reaction to the Russian invasion was, of course, shock.
Along with other countries in the region, Bulgaria has banned Russian aircraft in the country's airspace.The move was prompted by a natural desire to avoid involvement in the war and to ensure its security.
However, shortly after Ukraine announced its firm intention to apply for EU membership, Bulgaria began to show also a friendly attitude towards Kyiv. Along with the leaders of the EU member states: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - Bulgaria also stated the need to urgently provide Ukraine with EU membership prospects and start membership negotiations immediately.
