The meeting between Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova was too respectful and did not show the necessary firmness against the backdrop of the attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. This was stated by Vessela Cherneva, Deputy Director of the European Council on Foreign Policy, on bTV.
“This is not the tone that is supposed to be taken if we really want to be adequate to the situation“, said Cherneva. According to her, Mitrofanova was received not only by the Prime Minister, but also by the Foreign Minister - a format that, according to her, is unusual for an ambassador.
Cherneva said that after the conversation there was no impression of a sharp diplomatic exchange. “We understood that they talked about logic and who finds what logical“, she pointed out.
Cherneva insisted on a diplomatic note
According to her, the conversation should have been held at the Foreign Ministry, not at the level of the Prime Minister. Cherneva allowed the meeting to be held at a lower diplomatic level, but insisted that the Russian ambassador should have been handed a note.
“If there is talk of a serious attitude of the government towards the Russian actions in the Black Sea, they should receive a response and that should be clear“, she said.
Her comment comes after Prime Minister Rumen Radev's talks with Mitrofanova over the attacks on merchant ships near Bulgarian waters. The Council of Ministers announced that Bulgaria does not have definitive evidence about the origin of the drones used. Radev stated that it makes no sense for Ukraine to destroy its own ships, and the results of the strikes are in favor of Russia. Mitrofanova indicated that she did not have information from the Russian Defense Ministry and did not rule out the possibility of a third-party provocation.
The investigation into the attacks continues
The Bulgarian government stated that the investigation would continue jointly with its allies from the European Union and NATO. Talks are also underway with Romania and Turkey on joint proposals related to the safety of shipping in the Black Sea.
Cherneva defined the need for a clear tone as a matter of deterrence. She uses a comparison with a school environment to emphasize her thesis that the lack of a strict reaction can be read as a signal of the absence of boundaries.
“It must be shown in a clear, serious and strict tone where the boundaries are“, said Cherneva.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, bta.bg