Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova: Moscow has never had and has no plans to "redraw borders" in the region
Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova, in an exclusive interview with Facti, spoke about the goals of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, the prospects for relations between Moscow and Sofia, and the expulsion of diplomats. It will definitely not be like before, she said in response to a question about the fate of Ukraine after the end of the special operation.
Olya Al-Ahmed
Fact: "Most of all they lie before elections, during the war and after hunting," Bismarck said. Who lies more after the start of hostilities?
Eleonora Mitrofanova:At the moment we are witnessing not just an information war, but a real information terrorism directed against my country. Western propaganda spares no expense in trying to discredit Russia. Every day, a huge number of "fakes" are thrown into the information space, distorting the reasons and goals of the special operation. They are trying to convince the public that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are using violence against civilians. The footage of explosions and destruction of civilian infrastructure objects spread by Western media is essentially a dramatization or an attempt by the Kiev regime to attribute the atrocities of the Ukrainian army to the Russian military. Such "news" should be treated critically and should not be trusted with outright anti-Russian "propaganda".
At the same time, they do not talk about the crimes of Ukrainian servicemen, including those committed for eight years in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. We see examples of open censorship: in a number of EU countries, including Bulgaria, the broadcasting of the Russia Today TV channel and the Sputnik news agency has been suspended, the websites of state institutions and many well-known Russian media are working intermittently. Is this the expression of the notorious freedom of speech that the United States and its allies defend so much? In practice, the European audience is deprived of the opportunity to get acquainted with Russia's approaches to the current international agenda, it is deliberately shown only one view of the situation, and the style of presentation used often claims to be the ultimate truth.
– Do you expect a redrawing of the map of the region after the end of hostilities? There are various assumptions, including the partition of Ukraine, the Korean version, etc.
– Kiev, like its Western curators, should understand that there will definitely be no "as before".
For eight years, the Ukrainian authorities have not taken a single step towards a political solution to the conflict in the eastern part of the country and the reintegration of Donbass. On the contrary, they launched a punitive operation against their own citizens. As a result, today we see on the map two new independent states – the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, which Russia recognized on February 22 this year.
The main task of the special military operation is to protect the residents of the DPR and LPR, liberate their territories from the armed forces of Ukraine and nationalists. Now Donbass will determine its own fate. I would like to emphasize once again: Moscow has never had and has no plans to "redraw borders" in the region. New realities have arisen due to the persistent unwillingness of the Kiev regime to engage in dialogue with its fellow citizens (already former) in the hope of forcing them by force - shelling, killing children and adults - to abandon the Russian language and recognize the Nazis Bandera and Shukhevych as national "heroes".
The plan failed - the people of Donbass won the right to live in independent peaceful states.
– Madam Ambassador, it is believed that relations between Bulgaria and Russia have reached the lowest point. What can change them for the better?
- Indeed, at the moment the interaction between our countries is put on pause. The suspension of direct flights, the "loud" expulsions of Russian diplomats, the recall of the Bulgarian ambassador from Moscow for consultations for two weeks, involvement in a ridiculous action to rename an alley and a square near the embassy, the active participation of local media in a Russophobic information campaign – in a word, Bulgaria has taken an unprecedented number of unfriendly steps.
The discussion of possible arms supplies to the criminal Kiev regime by the local establishment also does not add optimism to the already deteriorating Russian-Bulgarian dialogue. Such demarches affect all areas of cooperation, neutralize positive progress on the bilateral line and call into question planned joint projects and agreements.
The actions of the current Bulgarian government do not fit into the logic of a pragmatic approach. The negative background being pumped up here undermines the confidence of Russian participants in foreign economic activity. I do not rule out that Russians who are used to relaxing on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast will reconsider their plans. Keep in mind that the Republic of Turkey, which, like Bulgaria, is a member of NATO, takes a more balanced position corresponding to its foreign policy and economic priorities.
– We often hear that Ukraine is the same for Russia as Macedonia is for Bulgaria. Is there, in your opinion, such a parallel and how do you assess the relationship between Skopje and Sofia?
– The relevance of such parallels should be assessed by Bulgarian citizens. I can only explain once again what Ukraine is for Russia. Russia and Ukraine are part of a single historical, cultural and spiritual space. When we say that we consider Ukrainians to be our brothers, this is not just a beautiful phrase. We Russian people really think and feel the way we speak.
What we are seeing now in Ukraine is the result of many years of Western efforts to escalate anti—Russian sentiments, which ended with the rejection of the Russian language, native to the majority of the population. The unnatural nature of the construction of an "anti-Russian" project in our fraternal country predetermined its outcome - first the split of society, now the state. As for the relations between Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia, Moscow is interested in preserving peace and tranquility in the Balkans. This is evidenced by the entire centuries-old history of our interaction with the countries of the region. I can only express the hope that Sofia and Skopje will be able to promote multilateral cooperation based on the principle of good neighborliness and mutual trust.
– Why, 10 days before the start of the military operation, President Putin, Foreign Minister Lavrov and Foreign Ministry spokesman Zakharova categorically denied what was actually coming?
– Until February 20 of this year, we tried to reach an agreement – first of all, of course, with the West, which is actually conducting the Ukrainian side. We tried to solve the crisis diplomatically until the last moment. We wanted Washington, Berlin and Paris to influence Kiev and finally force it to implement the Minsk agreements, which were the only option for a peaceful way out of the internal Ukrainian conflict. In parallel, we proposed that the United States and NATO legally formalize mutual security guarantees. To no avail.
It became clear that Kiev, accompanied and sometimes pushed by external curators, is systematically moving towards a violent resolution of the crisis: since 2014, more than 14 thousand people have died in the Donbas. We could not allow another, even bloodier tragedy. Conducting a special military operation is a forced step. We took this step when all diplomatic means of resolving the situation were exhausted.
– Do you know the measurable goals of a special military operation? In other words: what measurably needs to happen for the operation to complete?
– The objectives of the special military operation are defined by the President of Russia and are very specific. These are, firstly, the protection of the population of the DPR and LPR, secondly, the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine and, thirdly, the elimination of the direct threat to the Russian Federation emanating from the territory of Ukraine due to its military development by NATO countries. The special operation will be completed after all the tasks set by the leadership of my country have been completed.
– Ms. Mitrofanova, under socialism Bulgaria was considered the most loyal ally and close friend of the USSR. Has Serbia taken our place now?
– We do not operate in such categories, who took whose place. Thanks to pragmatic approaches in foreign policy based on equal cooperation and mutual respect, Russia is successfully developing relations with a wide range of countries, including such major players in the international arena as China, India, Brazil, South Africa. Together with our partners, we are implementing large-scale projects in trade, economic, scientific, educational, digital and other spheres.
In the Balkans, we have really strong ties with Serbia. They are based not only on the proximity of cultures and common history, but above all on the national interests of both countries. This allows us to successfully realize the huge potential of bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, energy, technology, science and innovation. At the same time, I would like to note that relations with Bulgaria have always been and are of great importance for Russia. Our peoples are united by such strong spiritual and historical ties that they are able to withstand any tests. History has repeatedly proved this.
– What do you think about the mass expulsion of diplomats?
– I consider such measures short-sighted and counterproductive. As you know, the main task of diplomats is to maintain and develop relations with the host country and ensure stable communication channels between the two countries. Accordingly, the expulsion of embassy staff sometimes narrows the opportunities for dialogue. In addition, in accordance with generally accepted diplomatic practice, such actions entail retaliatory measures. Simply put, by expelling 10 Russian diplomats today, you should be prepared for the fact that 10 of your diplomats will be expelled from Russia tomorrow. As a result, the whole complex of bilateral relations is being undermined. And most importantly, declaring diplomats persona non grata never solved any problems, but on the contrary, only created them. It is impossible not to understand this.
– How will the Russian Federation cope with the sanctions that are increasing every day?
– Our country has already got used to living in conditions of sanctions and unfair discrimination by the West. The current pressure is, of course, unprecedented in its scale. However, the current situation opens up new prospects for reforming our economy, revising the economic model and defining new priorities. Sanctions open up a huge domestic market for domestic producers of goods and service providers, stimulate the strengthening of the financial system, the development of technology, as well as reorientation to more promising and reliable foreign partners. Let me remind you that the UN includes 193 countries, of which only 48 are included in the unfriendly list.
Believe me, Russia will find ways to cope with any difficulties.
– How long will it take and what should be done in the future to establish relations between the fraternal Russian and Ukrainian peoples? To remove the hatred.
– It is obvious that our relations will remain complicated for a long time. At the same time, I want to note that Ukrainian society is far from homogeneous. The majority of the population considers themselves part of the "Russian world", i.e. they feel a deep connection with Russia, its history and culture. These people understand the reasons and tasks of the special operation. There is no hatred on their part. With those who zealously support the criminal Kiev regime, inciting anti-Russian hysteria, there is little hope for a quick reconciliation. I am sure that in the end time will put everything in its place.
– How would you comment on the story of the rescue of 14 crew members of the Bulgarian cargo ship Tsarevna?
– For a month and a half, the Ukrainian Nazis blocked Bulgarian sailors in the port of Mariupol, actually used them as a "human shield", violating the norms of international law. On April 13, the Donetsk People's Militia and the Russian Armed Forces evacuated 14 Bulgarian citizens and one Ukrainian. The crew members were first sent to Donetsk, where they were given all the necessary support, placed in a hotel and provided with food. From there, the Bulgarian sailors were taken to Rostov-on-Don, then to Sochi. On April 18, they returned to Bulgaria. I would like to emphasize that we consider this issue exclusively in its humanitarian dimension and do not support its politicization.
– And the last question, but not in importance: when will all this end? What are your predictions?
– I have already answered this question - after completing all the tasks of the special military operation set by the President of Russia on February 24 this year.
