Bulgaria expels two Russian diplomats on espionage charges amid Ukraine tensions
March 3, 2022, 8:27 am

Bulgaria expels two Russian diplomats on espionage charges amid Ukraine tensions

Onion- or helmet-shaped domes in Moscow, Russia (File photo: Pixabay)

The Euronews reported, citing the AFP, Bulgaria says it has expelled two Russian diplomats for spying amid tensions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The Bulgarian foreign ministry announced that it had received evidence that the two suspects were involved in "intelligence activities".

Ministry spokesperson Mitko Dimitrov told reporters on Wednesday that the diplomats had 48 hours to leave Bulgaria.

According to the prosecutor's office, one of the Russian diplomats had received confidential information from a Bulgarian defence ministry official since 2016.

According to the report, Bulgaria has traditionally had close economic relations with Russia but tensions have heightened between the two countries since October 2019.

Alexander Nevski church in Bulgaria (File photo: Pixabay)

It said that at least 8 Russian diplomats and one technical assistant at the embassy in Sofia have been expelled on espionage charges in the last two years.

Six Bulgarian nationals -- including military intelligence officers -- were also detained on suspicion of spying for Russia last November.

Russia faces war crimes investigation over bombing civilians in Ukraine

It should be noted, Russia is likely to respond directly to the latest expulsions, according to state media.

Source: euronews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.