The decision to temporarily deploy American tankers at the Bezmer airbase, intended for shared use between Bulgaria and our strategic partners from the USA and brought into a modern form with American taxpayers' money, is correct and necessary.
It is correct from the point of view of national security, our alliance obligations and that elementary national and state dignity that requires Bulgaria to have the self-confidence that a full member of the most powerful military-political and economic alliances on the planet - NATO and the EU, and as a strategic ally of the world colossus - the USA should have.
And not to tremble like a geopolitical rustler that expects protection from the allies, but panics when it has to contribute even something small to the common defense and security. This decision is more than necessary, because The neutralization of the fanatical Islamist regime in Tehran, which President Donald Trump has undertaken, is in the interest of the security of the Free World, and that means Bulgaria, which is part of it.
The real pathology is this irrational fear demonstrated by many that Iran would “hit us“ and “we become a target“. Fear of a primitive and doomed Islamist regime from the dusty shacks of Asia, as if we were some helpless bantustan, and not part of the EU and NATO, which Tehran would never dare to actually attack, not only because it does not have the necessary capacity, but also because, if it dared, it would mean that only a gray spot on the map would remain after it, about which it would be told that it once had a thousand-year history.
The presence of our allies from the US and NATO makes the probability of any attack smaller, and not greater. Deterrence works when the enemy knows that the price of aggression will be unbearable, and becomes meaningless when individual allies signal that they will bow their heads at the first threat. If every warning from a fanatical authoritarian regime is enough to paralyze the decisions of our state, this means that we are not a state, but someone's nefel province, and we are not a worthy European nation, but a dissolute and cowardly Eurasian tribe.
Fear cannot be Bulgaria's state doctrine. We cannot ask for American military protection, allied planning, intelligence exchange, air defense and nuclear deterrence ready and in the interest of our safety, and when the same ally asks for something elementary - to temporarily use, and by virtue of a signed contract, a facility for the deployment of eight tanks, we should give out hysterical cries of fear and pseudo-concern. Eight tanks! Allied relations are not an insurance policy that others pay for, and we enjoy the benefits without contributing to their creation.
And here is the great sin of Rumen Radev, because of which he was (as president) and remains (as prime minister) in international isolation. It is not possible to suggest on Monday that Western policy only brings risks, on Wednesday to rebroadcast from the state tribune “ live“ Russian great-power interests, and on Friday to take cheerful photos in front of the American flag as an exemplary ally.
This does not build trust, but on the contrary - Bulgaria begins to look like the “lying shepherd“ and even more pitiful. Until that day, Radev and his entourage were forming words exactly like that protesting group in front of the base in Bezmer, which yesterday waved Soviet flags and cursed America and “imperialism“ as if we were at a party meeting in the 1950s. And this is well known in the headquarters of our allies, which is why there are no particular illusions about some sudden “awakening“ of the current rulers from the hypnosis of Russian propaganda and pro-Kremlin dependencies.
However, this geopolitical schizophrenia certainly creates another problem for today's rulers - for their political identity. There is nothing more natural and understandable than that the nostalgic and pro-Russian voters, whom Radev willingly mobilized to win the elections, now feel deceived and betrayed by him. And this feeling will only deepen to the point of pain. Because lies can help win the votes of the gullible, but lies cannot be ruled for long - neither with epaulets nor without epaulets.
The naive attempts of the still-believing to explain that Radev's hands were tied “Unlimited“, because there was an agreement in 2006, are reactions like: “Pensioner throws pension from balcony because she believes the Ministry of Interior is asking for a bail bond for her daughter-in-law“.
Apart from personal political problems, one thing should be clear. There is an overriding national interest - for Bulgaria to be a strong and respected state with a free society and a free economy. Nothing else can help protect and realize this national interest, except what our political and expert generations achieved in the decade 1997-2007 with enormous national effort, political wisdom, managerial competence and diplomatic foresight - membership in the EU and NATO.
Today's rulers have no merit for this greatest historical success of Bulgaria after the Unification. But this does not exempt them from the national duty to maintain and develop it. Because never before has Bulgaria had such a historical chance and such scope for development. And outside of these unions, it would never have had them anywhere. Therefore, political wisdom, managerial competence and diplomatic foresight are again required for Bulgaria to act as a real, predictable and useful partner. Where are these qualities and this capacity today? Complete regression.
We should also not forget that in the international arena, no one owes anyone anything unilaterally. Solidarity exists only with shared responsibilities and reciprocal commitments. You can't speak Putin's language in Bulgaria, and pretend outside that you haven't eaten or smelled an onion. Among other things, it is immensely undignified and offensively elementary. The trouble is that Bulgarian foreign policy today moves between formal membership in NATO and the real service of Russian national interests. This is the most disadvantageous possible position.
Against this background, attempts to present a routine thank-you from President Donald Trump to Prime Minister Radev as geopolitical proof of trustworthiness are particularly ridiculous: Trump thanked him, therefore Radev is “Trump's man“. In reality, the American president thanked a government that fulfilled a specific American request. Nothing more.
The White House has enough information to distinguish a spur-of-the-moment decision from the sustainable orientation of a politician and his cohort. They monitor actions, votes, energy and other dependencies, and the real contribution to common security. Radev should rather think about whether this gratitude does not carry a much more uncomfortable message for him, such as: "thank you that at least this time you acted like a politician from an allied country."
The real question today is when Bulgaria will start pursuing a coherent and unified foreign policy towards its own citizens and towards its allies. Because a country may be small, but it should not be cowardly. And Bulgaria is not small at all, contrary to the satellite thinking of "little Bulgaria" that was purposefully instilled during socialism, which was supposed to bow at the feet of "Grandpa Ivan." However, its chronic problem is that some definitely want it to be cowardly. And this must end!