"Rumen Radev won because people who want normal relations with Russia voted for him. And this is a signal for him. He must do something in this direction. This is a choice of the Bulgarian people. There are many Bulgarians who are tired of being a simple puppet of the West and want normal relations with Russia. I am sincerely glad that the Bulgarians elected a person who promises normal development of Bulgaria not only with the EU, but also with Russia". This was said in an interview with Mirolyuba Benatova and Genka Shikerova in "Dneven red" by former KGB intelligence officer Gen. Leonid Reshetnikov, quoted by novini.bg.
The name of the general, who is close to Vladimir Putin, was associated with Rumen Radev even before he became president. In 2016, the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, whose director at the time was Leonid Reshetnikov, conducted a study and determined the profile of the Bulgarian candidate for head of state. It matches that of Radev.
General Reshetnikov claims that he does not know Rumen Radev, but heard about him from Cornelia Ninova. The former leader of the Socialists nominated the candidacy for president (2017-2026), and the Bulgarian Socialist Party supported him.
In the words of Reshetnikov, normal relations mean that Bulgaria wants the development of economic ties, preferences in the prices of oil, gas and other products from Russia: "What will it pay with? It will pay with calmer assessments of our historical past, with normal words and attitudes towards Russia and its policy".
In response to a question about why the Western press defines Rumen Radev as the best Russian candidate, Leonid Reshetnikov stated: "Every politician in the West who says normal words about relations with Russia is a pro-Russian candidate. "Maybe it's some kind of Western game - they say now that it's 100 percent Russian, and then when it does something against us, the Russians will immediately be disappointed," adds the former director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies.
According to him, Rumen Radev will not make a sharp turn in foreign policy because he will be under pressure from those who have governed Bulgaria in recent years.