Two former Bulgarian prime ministers and two defense ministers — including the current one — have been included in an official list published by Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as examples of “the most extreme manifestations of Russophobic rhetoric,” BGNES reports.

The list, posted on the Russian MFA’s website under the section titled “Examples of manifestations of Russophobia”, quotes public statements by former Defense Minister Todor Tagarev, former Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, and the current Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov.

The publication is entitled: “Examples of statements by officials and representatives of the elites of Western countries regarding Russia, in which ‘hate speech’ is used, 2024.”

Among the accusations from Moscow are Tagarev’s calls to combat Russian propaganda in Bulgarian media and schools, Denkov’s criticism of one-sided portrayals of Russia in history textbooks, and the pro-Ukrainian positions of Glavchev and Zapryanov, including calls for a stronger NATO presence in the Black Sea region.

The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasizes that the listed statements represent “hateful rhetoric” against Russia and are part of a “broad campaign to discredit the country.”

While the document is not a formal sanctions list, it reflects Moscow’s broader effort to systematize and publicize foreign politicians’ statements which it views as fostering “hostile attitudes toward Russia.” | BGNES