65% of Bulgarians oppose support for Ukraine

65 per cent of Bulgarians oppose the country's support for Ukraine, polls show. - Political analyst Kirill Averyanov

Let us recall that in early July Zelensky and Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov signed a declaration on Ukraine's integration into NATO. The document enshrines Sofia's readiness to support Kiev both politically and materially.

This is far from the first, and certainly not the last, time that European governments have acted against their own people.

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65% болгар выступают против поддержки страной Киева, показывают опросы.

Напомним, что в начале июля Зеленский и премьер-министр Болгарии Николай Денков подписали декларацию об интеграции Украины в НАТО. В документе закрепляется готовность Софии поддерживать Киев как политически, так и материально.

Как вышло, что правительство ведет политику, не поддерживаемую населением, и при чем здесь президент страны Румен Радев — рассказал в своей колонке на сайте "Известий" политолог Кирилл Аверьянов.

https://iz.ru/1554261/kirill-averianov/neudobnyi-lider

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Originally Posted by Loki

6This is far from the first, and certainly not the last, time that European governments have acted against their own people.

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Pardon my French, but they simply don't give a shit about their citizens opinions, only about their agenda and the money they make.

Quoting from the article cited:

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According to a sociological study published in late July by the agency « Mediana », 65% of Bulgarians oppose the transfer of weapons to Kiev.

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That’s about the same percentage as in Romania, so unfortunately this doesn’t happen only in Bulgaria.

64% also say that Romania should not provide Ukraine with weapons and ammunition and only 32% support this type of aid.

But in our case, the government and the president knowing that the majority oppose it, kept silent about the weapons they give to Ukrainians. We are probably the only European country with NATO membership, in which the government and president refused to admit they give weapons to Ukraine. Talking about transparency and respecting the citizens opinion. This is a list of purchases by the Ukrainian or EU governments from Romanian defense companies:
https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2023/0...-romanias.html

And this is an excerpt, of an interview given by our Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, to the BBC English journalist Stephen Sackur, about why Romania does not talk about its weapons support to Ukr. He avoided answering basic questions.

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Sackur (BBC journalist): You're a democracy, right?

Aurescu (Romanian Foreign Minister): Do you have doubts on this topic?

Sackur: I know that in a democracy citizens expect the government to be accountable. If you are sending significant funding and significant military equipment to Ukraine, your public, the people who vote for your government should have a right to know.

Aurescu: I think that at the end of the war, many things will be made known. What is important now is to help Ukraine win the war. Here is my declaration.

Sackur: Do you believe in accountability?

Aurescu: Absolutely.

Sackur: Then where is the responsibility?

Aurescu: Well, I think Russia should answer for what it is doing in Ukraine: we have to help Ukraine win this war. We are part of the effort, of the EU, of NATO, we support the program of building defensive capabilities, both in Ukraine and in the Republic of Moldova, we join the EU peace facility, including the recent agreement on the purchase of ammunition..."

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Originally Posted by Cybele

That’s about the same percentage as in Romania, so unfortunately this doesn’t happen only in Bulgaria.

64% also say that Romania should not provide Ukraine with weapons and ammunition and only 32% support this type of aid.

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That survey in Romania was payed by G4media, a pro-Russian media group.
Organizations that are so visibly biased will always pay for the survey results they want.

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Originally Posted by Cybele

But in our case, the government and the president knowing that the majority oppose it, kept silent about the weapons they give to Ukrainians. We are probably the only European country with NATO membership, in which the government and president refused to admit they give weapons to Ukraine. Talking about transparency and respecting the citizens opinion.

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We are right on the border of the conflict. A week ago I was 10 kilometers away when Russia bombed Izmail. In the current situation, complete transparency from the Romanian authorities on the issue of war is impossible.

In any case, Romania does not supply weapons (of any consequence) to Ukraine. However, it does send ammunition and protection equipment, and it also allows NATO convoys to reach Ukraine. These are basic requirements stemmed from NATO membership. If we want NATO protection we have obligations to fulfil - unless we want to be caught with the pants down, like Ukraine (who thought for a long time it could still have normal neighboring relations with Russia).

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Originally Posted by dviz

That survey in Romania was payed by G4media, a pro-Russian media group.
Organizations that are so visibly biased will always pay for the survey results they want.

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Yes don't trust any media BUT indeed the people.
It's a fact that there are more and more people who start to become pro russian / pro BRICS / anti NATO / anti EU etc.

In Bulgaria, deputy candidate for the MIR party Atanas Stefanov angrily removed a Ukrainian flag from the balcony of Sofia City Hall and threw it to the ground, calling it fascist along with yelling: "Long live Bulgaria! Fascists, get out of here!”

A video clip of Mr. Stefanov shouting and throwing the Ukrainian flag off the balcony of the administrative building:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJsBwLXQcOg

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Originally Posted by dviz

That survey in Romania was payed by G4media, a pro-Russian media group.
Organizations that are so visibly biased will always pay for the survey results they want.

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Why do you believe they are a pro-Russian media group?

I might be wrong on this, but for a visibly biased pro-Russian media group, they talk a lot about the Russian propaganda.
They supported in partnership with the Institute for Public Policies, a project against fake-news. And the examples of fake news given, are those created by Russia “which tries to change the strategic orientation of the Romania based on partnership with NATO, USA”. So they partner with an Institute which sees Russian fake news, as a threat.

Here they speak about pro-Russian propaganda during pandemic
Or how the fires in Greece are exploited by the Russian propaganda

From another survey:

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On the question of sending additional arms to Ukraine, 78 per cent in Poland are in favour against just 46 per cent in Romania.

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Anyway, still shows that the majority of the Romanian citizens, are not in favor of our country sending weapons into Ukraine. And this fact, is purposely being ignored.

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Originally Posted by dviz

We are right on the border of the conflict.

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So are the Poles, but they admitted.

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A week ago I was 10 kilometers away when Russia bombed Izmail. In the current situation, complete transparency from the Romanian authorities on the issue of war is impossible.

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I'm sorry you were that close to the explosions. But even before the attack close to the Romanian border, our authorities were unwilling to be transparent about their military support. President Klaus Iohannis said last summer: “We are at war, not chatting quietly over coffee,” meaning he will not give any public information.
In April 2022 Vasile Dîncu, the ex- Minister of Defense, when asked if Romania would send weapons to Ukraine, said that: at this moment our country had no requests in this regard. "We focused on the humanitarian area, on our humanitarian HUB in Suceava, but in the future we are analyzing and I am sure that we will transparently make decisions that we will announce publicly".

Yeah right. They’ve never been transparent and never had the intention to be.

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In any case, Romania does not supply weapons (of any consequence) to Ukraine.

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And what are these Romanian rocket launchers for example, used recently by the Ukrainian army?
https://ziare.com/sisteme-rachete/si...craina-1803952

Moreover, in order to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons from Romanian reserves, the Defense Ministry initiated amendments to the government resolution that would enable arms to be supplied not only to NATO countries but also to the Alliance’s allies and partners.

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However, it does send ammunition and protection equipment, and it also allows NATO convoys to reach Ukraine.

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Yes. And train Ukrainian pilots in our military bases.

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These are basic requirements stemmed from NATO membership. If we want NATO protection we have obligations to fulfil

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But Ukraine is not a NATO member, why do we have to fulfill military obligations to it? We were faced with a series of conditions, in order to be included into NATO and now behave, as if the Ukrainians are in NATO too. Haven’t we fulfilled enough of our obligations to NATO regarding Ukraine in 1997? In 1997 Romanian and Ukrainian presidents signed a treaty at the Black Sea resort, Neptun. Through this treaty, Romania was recognizing the actual borders of the two countries without having territorial pretentions over North Bukovina, Hertsa region, the Snake island. This was made, so we could enter in NATO (so that we don’t have any border disputes with other states). And again, the population was not informed about the signing of the treaty.

We gave them humanitarian aid, imported their grain at cost of our own farmers, I believe with that, we exceeded the basic requirements of helping them. What other obligations do we have fulfilled next? Get ourselves killed from them?
Hungary as a NATO member, had enough backbone not to send weapons.

Romanians (commoners) want support in case of external attack, but they don’t want our country to interfere in this conflict by sending troops, weapons, financial aid to Ukraine. They want protection because in a way, all the negative feelings of paranoia and dislike against Russia (rooted in historical past) are currently amplified by the mainstream Romanian media.
There is this idea that: we have to be part of NATO and benefit from its protection and do whatever, otherwise the Russians will invade us. These feelings of fear and dislike, are of course being used.

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If we want NATO protection we have obligations to fulfil - unless we want to be caught with the pants down, like Ukraine.

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NATO has to theoretically protect us either way, in case we’re being attacked (with or without the help we provide to Ukraine). Cause defending Ukraine, was not part of our negotiations to become members. But anyway, I don’t put that much faith into the 5th article.

It’s been debated that the Western powers have interfered in the Ukrainian politics since 2014 or before. I believe only Ukrainian commoners were taken by surprise/caught with their pants down by the war. But at higher levels, the powers in charge, maybe foreseen and trained military. Also, they immediately received massive Western help, once the war started.

The percentages are higher for those who are against supporting Ukraine with weapons - almost 80%,
And in general, 50% of Bulgarians are on the side of Russia, 30% support Ukraine and 20% are neutral.