Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev: Bulgaria is Feeling Threatened

Bulgaria is feeling threatened by the tensions in Ukraine, said Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev in an interview for the French daily L'Express. 

“We are witnessing new policies – more aggressive, more nationalistic in the countries, which in the post-communist era were called “the near abroad”,” Plevneliev said. 

In his words the Kremlin is purposefully using destabilization tactics – firs in Crimea and now in south eastern Ukraine. “Who is next? - Moldova? The Balkans,” commented Plevneliev. 

He pointed out that since the start of the tensions in Ukraine, every night the Bulgarian fighter jets are flying out to intercept Russian fighters flying close to Bulgaria's air space over the Black Sea. 

According to Plevneliev Bulgaria remains a russophile country, but is first and foremost pro-European. 

“The Russian project is anti-European in its essence, values and visions on itself and the world,” Plevneliev said. 

He admitted that he was surprised by the reactions of some of Bulgarian politicians, who said that the country must not oppose to Russia. 

“Natural gas should not be used as a weapon,” Plevneliev said. 

In his words the crisis in Ukraine was a matter of survival for the EU and an example of humanism and democratic development. He also pointed out that Europe was not firm enough against Kremlin. 

“If we retreat now, our Union will not only be destabilized, but will be discredited as a model for democracy in the eyes of all who dream of joining it one day – I mean most of all our Balkan neighbors,” Plevneliev said.