Ukraine Rejects Bulgarian President’s Claims That Kyiv Is to Be Blamed for Russia’s Ongoing War

 Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Sofia, Bulgaria July 6, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Sofia, Bulgaria July 6, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
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Ukraine Rejects Bulgarian President’s Claims That Kyiv Is to Be Blamed for Russia’s Ongoing War

 Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Sofia, Bulgaria July 6, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Sofia, Bulgaria July 6, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)

Ukraine on Saturday criticized Bulgaria's pro-Russian president over his remarks that Kyiv is to blame for Russia’s ongoing war and that supplying arms to Ukraine only prolongs the conflict.

President Rumen Radev had told reporters on Friday, during a news conference in which he spoke about the recent NATO summit, that he wanted “to make it clear that Ukraine insists on fighting this war.”

“But it should also be clear that the bill is paid by the whole of Europe,” he added.

The remarks by the pro-Russian leader are part of his continuing efforts to keep Bulgaria out of joint EU military support for Ukraine.

The Embassy of Ukraine in Sofia in a statement on Saturday said Kyiv was making all possible efforts to restore peace and rejected Radev’s stance that supplying arms to Ukraine fuels and prolongs the war.

Blaming the war on Ukraine, which “was treacherously attacked by its northern neighbor, is one of the most common supporting theses of Russian propaganda and hybrid warfare in Europe,” the embassy said.

It emphasized that the provision of defense funds to Ukraine does not lead to an increase in casualties but means that more lives can be saved.

During the political crisis that had gripped EU and NATO member Bulgaria in the last two years, Radev has used his powers to appoint caretaker governments that shared his dissent over supplying arms to Kyiv. However, his efforts have bene undermined since a new pro-Western government was formed in June.

On Friday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov was quick to counter Radev’s position and put the blame for Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his administration.

“On the contrary, the one who insists on fighting this war is the circle around Putin. They started this war,” Denkov said.

“I say again: the quickest way to stop this war is for this same circle to call on their troops to get out,” the prime minister added.



Orban Invites Netanyahu to Hungary as ICC Warrant Divides Europeans

FILE PHOTO: The International Criminal Court building is seen in The Hague, Netherlands, January 16, 2019. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The International Criminal Court building is seen in The Hague, Netherlands, January 16, 2019. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo
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Orban Invites Netanyahu to Hungary as ICC Warrant Divides Europeans

FILE PHOTO: The International Criminal Court building is seen in The Hague, Netherlands, January 16, 2019. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The International Criminal Court building is seen in The Hague, Netherlands, January 16, 2019. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo

Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to visit Hungary but several other European nations said the Israeli premier would be detained if he set foot on their soil, following the issuing of an arrest warrant for him.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Netanyahu, his former defense chief Yoav Gallant, and for a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

All EU countries are members of the court, which means they are supposed to enforce its warrants.

But the diverging reactions - and the fact that EU heavyweights Germany and France have not said if they would arrest Netanyahu - highlight the major diplomatic and political challenge posed by the ICC decision, which drew swift condemnation from Israeli leaders and the White House.

"For us Europeans, this warrant exposes a real dilemma between international law, which is our law, and our foreign policy, especially for those member states that are unconditionally backing Israel," Eurointelligence analysts wrote in a note.

Assuring Netanyahu that he would face no risks if he visited Hungary, Orban branded the arrest warrants a "brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable decision". Orban, who is often at odds with his EU peers, has forged warm ties with Netanyahu.

"Today I will invite Israel's prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, for a visit to Hungary and in that invite, I will guarantee him that if he comes, the ICC ruling will have no effect in Hungary, and we will not follow its contents," Orban said.

The ICC, which does not have its own police force to carry out arrests, has only limited diplomatic means to force countries to act if they do not want to.

The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Finland, Portugal, Slovenia and Ireland, are among EU states that have said they would meet their ICC commitments.

Netanyahu will be arrested if he set foot in Ireland, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris told RTE radio. "Yes absolutely. We support international courts and we apply their warrants," Harris said.

Cyprus, which has close ties to Israel, regards the warrants as binding in principle, a government source told Reuters.

GERMANY TORN

But Berlin declined to spell out what it would do until and unless Netanyahu planned to travel to Germany, adding that legal questions had to be clarified regarding the warrant.

Germany "is one of the biggest supporters of the ICC - this attitude is also the result of German history," a government spokesperson said.

"At the same time, it is a consequence of German history that we share unique relations and a great responsibility with Israel," the spokesperson added, alluding to the Nazi era.

France was also non-committal, toning down its initial reaction, which had been to say that its response would align with ICC statutes. Paris said on Friday it took note of the ICC decision but that it was not a ruling but a "formalization of an accusation".

France has been working on Lebanon ceasefire efforts and officials said cornering Netanyahu now could scupper those efforts.

Non-EU Britain - also an ICC member - was similarly circumspect in its response.

In the Netherlands, far-right leader Geert Wilders said he would meet his "friend" Netanyahu in Israel soon, even though the Dutch government has said it will act on the ICC's arrest warrant if the Israeli leader were to visit the country.

Wilders is the leader of the largest Dutch government party, but is not himself a cabinet member.

The Czech Republic, which like neighboring Hungary has traditionally sided with Israel, appeared similarly conflicted.

The Czech foreign ministry said Prague would respect its international legal obligations, while Prime Minister Petr Fiala described the ICC decision as "unfortunate" and said it would undermine the court's authority.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas-led fighters stormed across the border fence, killed 1,200 people and seized more than 250 hostages on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry there.