Bulgaria could play a key role in transport and energy connectivity in the region, said former US Assistant Secretary of State James O'Brien.

His comments came during a forum organized by the Euro-Atlantic Institute in Sofia on the war in Ukraine, disinformation campaigns by Russia and China, and industries of key importance for future generations, BGNES reported.

O'Brien was a special guest at the event, along with former special envoy and coordinator of the US Center for Global Engagement James Rubin.

Rubin believes that the war in Ukraine is far from over and said that US President Donald Trump is slowly realizing that he is unable to influence Vladimir Putin's decisions.

"The times we live in are very turbulent. There are questions, but no answers as to what the US will do.

There is nothing more important than the war in Ukraine, just as the conflicts in Yugoslavia were the most important in the 1990s," he said, adding that the actions of Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are also of paramount importance as they are related to Ukraine.

The former US diplomat said that, unfortunately, the principle of the inviolability of state territory has ceased to dominate international relations.

"This is the policy in which the world will continue to develop, and the driving force behind this policy is Moscow.

The good news is that Trump is slowly realizing that it is not so easy to stop the war and that he does not have the influence to convince Putin to stop. Putin's entire career depends on the war. The war will continue because the West is ready to defend Ukraine and Ukraine has proven that it is capable of defending itself. The war will continue until the thinking in Moscow changes," Rubin said. He believes that the midterm elections in the US (for Congress and the Senate), which are only 18 months away, will be won by the Democrats, leading to a change in Washington's foreign policy.

Rubin also stressed that a Democratic majority in Congress would open the door to investigations into the Trump family and “everything they have done over the past six years.”

The former coordinator of the Center for Global Engagement believes that one of the most serious challenges we face today is the information war waged by Russia and China.

"When I was young, I thought the world would end in a nuclear war. The 1990s were dominated by ethnic conflicts. Then came September 11, and by the end of the decade, the US was dealing with terrorism. Then came global warming. With the arrival of new problems, the old ones did not go away. After 2020 came the problem of information warfare, which is mainly directed by Moscow and Beijing," Rubin said, expressing regret that Trump is attacking many of the regulations adopted by the previous administration in relation to disinformation on social media.

Rubin stressed the need for coordination between the EU and the US on information warfare and military-industrial complexes. He believes that coordination in military production will also benefit Ukraine.

James O'Brien, in turn, said that Bulgaria could play a key role in energy and transport connectivity in Southeast Europe in the future. He pointed out that the quality of life of future generations will depend on the development of four key industries: AI, medicine, energy, and digital technologies. In this regard, O'Brien emphasized that Bulgaria has proven specialists in the IT sector.

The two also commented on the rift in relations between Trump and his former adviser Elon Musk.

“I expect that his (Musk's) dispute with Trump will have a strategic impact, as Musk has a huge influence on people around the world,” Rubin said.

O'Brien, in turn, pointed out that the rift with Trump could prompt Musk to seek cooperation with other countries that are willing to invest in his businesses. | BGNES