OPEN LETTER TO THE EMBASSY OF UKRAINE IN BULGARIA
Dear representatives of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Bulgaria, Mrs. Ilashchuk:
People who have been supporting Ukraine since the first day of Russian aggression in your homeland, we are shocked by the fact that Mr. Delyan Peevski has been awarded by the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (through the ambassador of the Republic of Ukraine) with a medal for special services to the Ukrainian people.
In the eyes of true Euro-Atlanticists in Bulgaria and true friends of Ukraine, this act of yours is not only incomprehensible to the Bulgarian democratic community, but also extremely scandalous!
I attribute it solely to your lack of information about the personality of Mr. Peevski and who you, in fact, legitimize. But despite everything, you can't help but know that Delyan Peevski has been sanctioned for corruption under the global Magnitsky Act by the USA and Great Britain. The legitimization of such a person with any Ukrainian state awards is, in fact, a huge discredit to both the state of Bulgaria and Ukraine.
For more than a decade, Delyan Peevski has not been in the executive power of Bulgaria – i.e. was not part of any government. In the last decade, his party has not been part of any Bulgarian government (at least officially). Mr. Peevski is an ordinary MP who has not entered the parliament for work for years, but has been sitting in Dubai. After his entry into the “Magnitsky“ list, he is desperately trying to repaint himself as a Euro-Atlantic, despite the fact that his party – DPS— served Russian interests for decades! Mr. Peevski HAS NOT GOT A SINGLE MEDIA INTERVIEW! He doesn't think he should be interviewed and answer embarrassing questions in front of the public! Do you, in fact, associate yourself with such a person?!
Delyan Peevski is the face of Bulgarian corruption, connected to countless scandals – from influence peddling, to smuggling, to bank failure. Peevski's face is a symbol of anti-statehood! Person Peevski, with zero trust in Bulgarian society, manipulates elections in Bulgaria. Captured Bulgarian institutions and the judicial system are connected to the oligarch Peevski! Because of Peevski's face, the authentic Euro-Atlanticists in the parliament -- the coalition "Continuing the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" -- they want a complete sanitary cordon around him and the cancellation of the last parliamentary elections, because of thousands of electoral violations! Due to the person Peevski in Bulgaria there were long protests, because this person is considered the face of the Bulgarian mafia!
I really don't understand how Peevski has helped Ukraine so much, being an ordinary member of the Bulgarian Parliament, whose legitimacy is currently not established by the Constitutional Court, due to complaints about election violations related to Peevski as well. Since no context is given for the award that Peevski receives from Ukraine (what exactly he was awarded for), I urge you to inform the Bulgarian public how he is different from the other MPs who support Ukraine in the Bulgarian National Assembly!
Peevski's only goal is to get out of the "Magnitsky" list of shame. and so he tries to buy indulgences with his newfound Euro-Atlantic line.
The awarding of this person by the Embassy of Ukraine is a deep insult to all of us who support the Ukrainian cause and democracy in Bulgaria! There are countless people in Bulgaria that you can reward, who deserve to be honored – the real Euro-Atlantic politicians (if you don't know them, I'll give you a list), the thousands of volunteers who help the Ukrainian army with funds, as well as the Ukrainian refugees, along with dozens of humanitarian aid organizations...
As a journalist, public figure and creator of the “Open Heart” to help Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees, I find the awarding of Delyan Peevski an extremely cynical manifestation that harms not only the cause of Ukraine, but also the image of Bulgaria.
Deeply disappointed,
Tatiana Christie