site.btaUPDATED President Radev: White House Meeting Brought Back Truth about War in Ukraine

President Rumen Radev Saturday said the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting at the White House "brought back the truth about the war in Ukraine".

In his words, the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a clash between "the two approaches to finding a solution" to this war.

Radev commented: "One, expressed by President Trump, advocates an immediate cessation of the senseless bloodshed and a pursuit of paths to peace through intensified diplomacy. And the other [advocates] continuing the war at any cost, regardless of the casualties and destruction, with open attempts to involve NATO in the war and a risk of a World War Three. Regrettably, many European politicians still fail to break free from their narrow ideological frameworks and to grasp the real nature and the prospects of this war."

According to Radev, some politicians are stuck into "a utopian notion that Russia can be defeated," thus pushing Ukraine towards catastrophe. "Continuing military actions from now on will only bring more death, more destruction, and, inevitably, even greater losses of territory," he said.

Asked by reporters what Europe's most constructive course of action should be in this situation, he said: "I have long been saying, including at international forums, and I shared it with President Trump at our meeting in Paris in December, that the biggest problem for Ukraine in this war is not the supply of weapons. Ukraine is running out of manpower on the front lines. We are approaching the most critical moment when, one day, there will be no more soldiers left on the battlefield. If we do not do something to stop this bloodshed, we will face an enormous political and moral dilemma about how to proceed. Weapons are no longer the solution. What is needed is manpower. Will we send people to Ukraine? Absolutely not. That would mean a global confrontation."

Asked what position should be taken, including by Bulgaria, the President said: "I will not comment on Bulgaria's stance - it has always aligned itself with the stance of the powerful players, without independent thought about the nature and future of this war."

President Radev said that Ukraine must have a place at the negotiating table, but the first step is a ceasefire. "From there, all diplomatic mechanisms must be employed to seek a peaceful settlement to this horrendous bloody conflict. There are ways to do this - history has already shown us a way. There is already political will at the highest level, both from the leadership of the United States and from Russia. Europe must quickly find its place in this reality. It must secure a seat at the negotiating table, because how can peace talks about Europe take place without Europe's involvement? I expect European leaders to be much more in touch with reality."

In his view, an urgent summit involving the European countries and the US is essential. "This is inevitable. The real question is why it was not called earlier, why we had to wait for three years only to return to the plan of the greatest diplomat of the 20th century, Henry Kissinger, who outlined clearly how all of this would end. After hundreds of thousands of casualties, massive destruction and severe damage to Europe and to us, why did we have to come to this? Who will take responsibility for these losses?," Radev asked.

Commenting on Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's statement in support of Ukraine, Radev said: "A losing position."

Earlier in the day, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said on X: "Ukraine, be brave, be strong. We stand by you."