Author: Alexander Detev:
When the sirens in Ukraine start wailing in the early morning of February 24, 2022, Maria Plachkova calls her parents: “On February 24, I was a reporter on duty in Odessa. I called my parents to tell them that the war had started“, she says. Today Maria lives in Bulgaria and works at the Bulgarian National Television. But her life is again set in the same framework. “Today I dream of calling them and being able to tell them that the war is over“, she says.
Four years after the war began, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fallen victim to Russian aggression and millions have been driven from their homes. The war continues fiercely, and the topic dominates politics across Europe. “I can't even comprehend that we have been at war for four years“, says Ukrainian Sofia Bugor, who also has Bulgarian roots. “This war has turned out to be a test of democracy.“
The hardest winter ever
Today, Ukrainians are tired, but they continue to fight. They have survived the hardest winter since the war began, and the power outage has condemned them to darkness and cold. "People are not only left without electricity, they are also left without heat in their homes. In Odessa, there has been no electricity for ten days," says Maria Plachkova, whose parents are still in Ukraine. "People are helping each other. But with these constant strikes, in this cold, every day there are news stories about people who are helping - electricians, for example - dying on the spot because they become victims of subsequent strikes. The same goes for medical workers."
Donald Trump is trying to force Ukraine and Russia to sign a ceasefire in order to keep his election promise to end the war. But the price for Kiev is too high, as Vladimir Putin insists on control over the entire territory of Donbas. "We cannot recognize the occupied territories as Russian. First of all, it is unconstitutional, but also for hundreds of thousands of people these territories are home. Who are we to decide that some Ukrainians should forget about their home?“, asks Sofia Bugor. Maria Plachkova adds: “So many people have died for this territory and its dependence. The people of Ukraine must decide, we in Europe cannot decide for them“.
At the same time, the next package of EU sanctions against Russia is blocked by Hungary, and some societies in Eastern Europe are still cautious about taking tough measures against the Kremlin. This is the result of many years of work by Russian propaganda, the two Ukrainians believe. “I have been following Russian propaganda since the beginning of the war. There it claimed that there was no point in fighting, there was no point in doing anything. We will take you over now and the war will stop. There is no need for resistance.“ They spread that from day one. The same thing is happening in Europe - Russian propaganda prepared the ground years earlier“, says Plachkova. And the war for people's minds continues today. “This terror that Russia is waging aims to suppress the moral spirit of the people. This is what Russia wants - to pressure them, to say “take everything, just leave us alone“. This is Putin's strategy, that's why he's using the harsh winter as a weapon. But I don't think the Ukrainians will allow it.“
"The most dangerous lie is that Russia cannot lose a war"
It is being instilled that the Russian army is invincible, suggestions are being spread that Ukrainians are Nazis, trust in European institutions is being shaken - Western services have been warning for years that Russia is spending hundreds of millions, and probably billions, on disinformation. These seeds were sown long before the war began and are bearing fruit.
The narratives against Ukrainians in Bulgaria are part of the Kremlin's playbook, explains Maria Plachkova. “In Bulgaria, at first, it was claimed that Ukrainian refugees would take people's jobs or live off aid. There was aid only at the beginning, and then only once“, the journalist recalls. “The Ukrainians who are in Bulgaria today number in the tens of thousands. Most of them work, have businesses. They are creating new centers, workplaces, and restaurants. Where before it was lively only in the summer, now people live year-round.“
The most powerful weapon of disinformation remains fear. “The most dangerous lie is that Russia cannot lose a war. This lie is very cunning. It creates doubt, but it also demotivates. Why should we act if Russia is winning anyway?“, explains Sofia Bugor. But she recalls: “This propaganda thesis has nothing to do with the truth - Russia is suffering huge losses. If it wants to occupy all of Ukraine, at this rate it will need dozens, if not hundreds of years. In one week, Ukraine managed to regain 300 square kilometers“.
And indeed - the interruption of the Russian military's access to the "Starlink" terminals created serious difficulties for them, as noted by a number of experts. And the news that the Ukrainian army has managed to regain its territories inspires hope, says Sofia Bugor. "I think that if it continues in this spirit, there is a chance for strategic pressure and the possibility of returning the occupied territories. Without European help, this will not be possible."
Therefore, she expects European politicians to respond more decisively - both to military actions against Ukraine and to provocations against EU and NATO countries. "Why is it not being done? Most likely because of fear, the fear of "being drawn into a war with Russia." We are already at war with Russia! Against an aggressor, one must act firmly, sometimes even with the same methods“, believes Bugor.
"We need more politicians like Nadezhda Neynski"
The activist, who is originally from Bessarabia, believes that it is necessary to demonstrate self-confidence - especially from countries on NATO's eastern flank like Bulgaria. “Bulgaria needs to have more politicians with a firm position like Nadezhda Neynski.“ During her first visit to Brussels as acting Foreign Minister, Neynski stated Bulgaria's categorical support for Ukraine. “The battle for Ukraine is also a battle for European security“, she emphasized.
On the fourth anniversary of the war, Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova also defined Russia as an “aggressor“ - a definition she has not used publicly so far as vice president. It has drawn criticism from pro-Russian circles in Bulgaria, who, although not a majority in Bulgaria according to sociologists, are extremely vocal. “A large part of Bulgarian society continues to believe that Russia is a fraternal state and some kind of defender of Slavic values, which is complete nonsense“, says Sofia Bugor, who has been living in Bulgaria for more than five years. “The basis is in historical roots and manipulations with them“, she adds.
Actively against disinformation
Research by international organizations such as GLOBSEC and the Balkan Free Media Initiative has repeatedly concluded that Bulgaria is the most vulnerable to Russian disinformation in the EU. The endemic spread of pro-Russian disinformation narratives on social networks also confirms this. The country needs to more actively oppose hybrid attacks in order to defend itself, and in Brussels, Nadezhda Neynski commented that Bulgaria would request support from the European Commission against disinformation attacks before the upcoming elections.
“Civic education and the creation of state mechanisms against disinformation are necessary. The problems begin in education, where it continues to be taught that Russia is a brotherly people“, says Sofia Bugor. And all this aims to undermine support for Ukraine - support without which Kiev will sooner or later have to give in to “the terrorist's conditions“. “If the world agrees to such a thing and turns a blind eye, it will mean that humanity has failed“, Bugor summarizes.