EU Must Put Forward Concrete Proposals for Peace in Ukraine, President Iotova Says

The European Union must put forward its own concrete proposals for peace in Ukraine and for a security architecture that ensures stability and predictability on the European continent,…

The European Union must put forward its own concrete proposals for peace in Ukraine and for a security architecture that ensures stability and predictability on the European continent, President Iliana Iotova said here on Friday during a meeting at the presidential institution with representatives of the US National Defense University who are visiting Bulgaria as part of its CAPSTONE program. The talks focused on global security challenges. Iotova noted that 2025 had ended with more than 60 armed conflicts worldwide, the highest number since World War II.

“This is a terrible diagnosis for our countries and societies,” she said. The war in Ukraine had already extended beyond the country's borders, Iotova said, adding that a war of attrition could not be a solution. The conflict could end only through diplomacy and peace negotiations, with Europe playing an active role. A lasting peace could not be achieved without Europe, she stressed. She described the peace talks scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi in the coming days as a positive step.

Security in the Black Sea was another key focus of the meeting. Attacks on vessels pose significant economic and financial risks, as well as threats to European energy security and food security in Asia and Africa, Iotova said. She outlined Bulgaria's actions in response, including convening a Consultative Council for National Security to discuss measures, holding a series of meetings with EU and NATO partners, and conducting separate consultations with neighbouring Romania and Turkiye to strengthen coordination.

Iotova also presented her proposal for a Black Sea security forum involving all six countries bordering the sea – Bulgaria, Romania, Turkiye, Georgia, Ukraine and Russia. The aim would be to secure a moratorium on military operations in the Black Sea basin. The President presented the proposal to representatives of the European Parliament in late October as well. Iotova highlighted Bulgaria's strategic importance, which she said would grow in the coming years, not only in the region but across Europe.

She pointed to infrastructure, energy and digital corridors whose development involves Bulgaria. The meeting also addressed ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the United States and expand cooperation in security and defence.