25 September 2025

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria spoke at the Fifth Summit of the Crimea Platform.

“We want to see Crimea as a place for recreation, not war,” Rosen Zhelyazkov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Rosen Zhelyazkov stressed that the occupation of Crimea is an open and ongoing violation of international law, including the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of European security. He emphasized that Bulgaria does not and will never recognize Russia’s attempts to legalize the occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol, nor the establishment of control over parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine.

The President of the Republic of Bulgaria also expressed support for international negotiations led by the President of the United States, while underlining the importance of a just end to the war. Such an end must include reliable and verifiable security guarantees for Ukraine, the restoration of its territorial integrity, and consideration of the strategic interests of Europe as a whole.