Only those present can say what exactly happened at the meeting between Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Kyrylo Budanov - the chief of staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This was stated by Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova to Bulgarian National Television.
„Only those present at the meeting can say what happened at the meeting. The important thing is that a dialogue took place. I am sure that there are a number of topics that were discussed, but I cannot say what they are“, Petrova said.
She specified that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not involved in the organization of Budanov's visit. According to her, the meeting was requested by the Ukrainian side, and the increased security measures for the trips of senior Ukrainian representatives explain why the visit was not announced publicly in advance.
What has been confirmed about the conversation
The Council of Ministers announced that Kirill Budanov was in Sofia on October 8 and met with Rumen Radev. The visit was at Budanov's request and was conducted in complete confidentiality due to security measures.
According to the government press service, Zelensky's chief of staff shared with the Bulgarian prime minister the views of the Ukrainian side on the possibilities for achieving a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. This is the only publicly confirmed specifics about the content of the conversation.
Rumen Radev also confirmed the meeting and stated that the conversation was initiated by the guest. The presidential institution, meanwhile, clarified that the president and representatives of the presidency did not hold meetings with Budanov.
The Foreign Ministry was not informed in advance
Petrova said that she could not comment on topics beyond what was officially announced by the Council of Ministers. She emphasized that security is paramount in such visits, but did not indicate whether any specific commitment was made by the Bulgarian side after the conversation.
Kyril Budanov is Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff and former head of Ukrainian military intelligence. The meeting with Rumen Radev took place at a time when Bulgaria is discussing the risks of the war expanding to the Black Sea and the possibilities for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
Sources: bnt.bg, bta.bg, focus-news.net