Bulgaria and the Russo-Ukraine War

Session Submission Type: Panel

Affiliate Organization: Bulgarian Studies Association

Brief Description

Communist Bulgaria acquired the reputation of being the most cooperative, closest ally of the Soviet Union. This reputation built upon the historical legacy of Bulgaria’s collaboration with Russian interests and influence going back many generations before 1944. The Bulgarian political class began the transition from communism among the Bulgarian ethnic majority. Their motivations included reactions to the consequences of the criminal forced name change against Bulgarian Turks beginning in the mid-1980s, which began forty years ago, in 1985. This final gasp of the communist regime amidst economic decline followed earlier forced assimilation policies against Bulgarian Pomaks/Bulgarian Muslims. The Bulgarian transition from communism continued to rely upon the intensive economic, political and cultural relationships with Moscow with comparatively less resentment. The political dilemmas of this continued utilization and reliance became much more intense with the outbreak of war between Kyiv and Moscow in 2014. The dramatic escalation in February 2022 has increased conflicting international and domestic political pressures on Bulgaria that is part of the Euro-Atlantic structures. Its elite class continues to view confronting Moscow with relatively more caution and concern while continuing to utilize its resources. The UK’s exit from the European Union with the election of Trump and his re-election in 2024 have had significant domestic and foreign policy attitudinal consequences for Sofia. They reflect the dynamic, conflicting political contestation within the Bulgarian polity that reflect the competition for influence by Moscow and Washington. Bulgaria’s Europeanization continues to reflect particularly strongly the fact that Russia is irrevocably part of Europe.

Sub Unit

• International Relations, Security Studies, Foreign Policy

Chair

• Markus Wien, American U Bulgaria (Bulgaria)

Papers

• Strategic Corruption and Bulgaria: Application of the Global Magnitsky Act in Bulgarian Politics - Benedict Edward DeDominicis, Catholic U of Korea (South Korea)

• 'New' Europe and FSU: Path Dependencies and the Russian War on Ukraine - Krassen Stanchev, Sofia U (Bulgaria)

• The U.S.-supported Radio Free Europe’s Bulgarian Broadcasting around the collapse of Communism and the end of the Cold War - Kristian Kafozov, New York U

• Electoral Integrity and Democracy in Bulgaria - Tatiana Rizova, Christopher Newport U

Discussant

• Markus Wien, American U Bulgaria (Bulgaria)