Kremlin Encouraged by Bulgarian Radev’s Desire to Resolve Issues With Russia Via Talks

MOSCOW, April 20 (Reuters) – The Kremlin ⁠said ⁠on Monday that ⁠it was encouraged by Bulgarian politician Rumen ​Radev’s desire to resolve issues with Russia via pragmatic ‌talks after he won a ‌landslide election victory on Sunday.

Official results showed ⁠that ⁠Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party had won convincingly, sidelining long-dominant ​political forces and potentially pushing the European Union and NATO member state closer to Moscow.

Radev, a former president ​and fighter pilot opposed to military support for Ukraine’s ⁠war effort ⁠against Moscow, has ⁠talked ​about improving ties with Moscow and resuming the free flow ​of Russian oil ⁠and gas into Europe.

Asked on Monday by a reporter about purported panic in Europe over Radev’s victory and whether Radev was a Russian “Trojan Horse”, ⁠Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:

“…We are, of course, encouraged by ⁠the words of Mr. Radev, who won the elections, as well as those of certain other European leaders, regarding their readiness to resolve issues through dialogue.”

But Peskov said he thought it would be premature to draw wider conclusions about whether the overall political climate in Europe was ⁠changing given what he said were the usual statements – which he has in the past described as anti-Russian – emanating from the European Commission in ​Brussels.

(Reporting by Anastasia Lyrchikova, Writing by Felix ​LightEditing by Andrew Osborn)

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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Seagulls are pictured at the Baltic Sea beach in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, on a sunny Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

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