The leader of the pro-Russian Bulgarian party "Revival," Konstantin Kostadinov, stated that the southern part of the Odessa region should return to Bulgaria because the majority of its population consists of Bulgarians.
The politician expressed on his social media page Facebook that he supports the newly elected President Donald Trump's desire to annex Canada to the United States. Following a similar principle, Kostadinov advocates for the unification of Bulgaria and North Macedonia into a single state, as well as the return of Southern Bessarabia to Bulgaria:
"This territory was part of the Bulgarian state for over 450 years, Bulgarians have been the indigenous population of this region (since the 6th century) and still constitute the majority today. Ukraine has owned Southern Bessarabia for only 34 years."
He also claimed that Ukraine is currently in a "state of disintegration," and at the upcoming congress, where the "fate of Ukrainian statehood" will be decided, Bulgaria should assert its claims on Bessarabia.
The Ukrainian embassy in Bulgaria has already responded to Kostadinov's statement, urging the country's leadership to condemn the politician's remarks. Diplomats noted that he incites the destruction of international law, distorts historical facts, and encourages border revisions in Europe.
"The statements by the leader of the 'Revival' party regarding territorial claims on Ukraine are unacceptable for a politician from an EU member state and confirm his systematic promotion of Kremlin narratives," the message reads.
Southern Bessarabia (Budjak) is a historical region situated between the Danube and Dniester rivers, in the southwestern part of the Odessa region. It borders Moldova to the north and Romania to the west. Southern Bessarabia became part of the Ukrainian SSR not 34 years ago, as Kostadinov claims, but 85 years ago - in 1940.
Trump's Encroachment on Canada
It is worth noting that the newly elected American president has made several statements regarding the annexation of Canada to the United States. Soon, he directly called on its residents to unite into one country.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected this proposal. In his view, Trump is making such statements to divert attention from the increase in tariffs on Canadian imports.