Bulgaria’s caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynski will take part in a commemorative ceremony marking the events in Bucha. Following the outbreak of the war and the invasion of the city by Russian forces, more than 630 people were killed.
EU ministers are due to hold a special meeting today, March 31, attended by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas.
Neynski was also part of the Bulgarian delegation led by caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday. The two signed a 10-year security agreement between Bulgaria and Ukraine.
Asked how she remembers the day years later and whether she expected the war to continue for so long, Neynski said:
“You know, there was an inscription in the foreign ministry, where I come from, which translated means ‘to live the war’. Perhaps that is the strongest symbol of what is happening. What many people told me today is that life goes on and we have learned to live in war. There is a great deal of pain and tragedy in that, but also great strength and stoicism. That is perhaps the overall impression I take from today. These people do not just read about war – they live it. And despite that, they have remained humane, normal, thinking about what will come when peace finally comes.
I expect that in Bucha we will not only remember those tragic days, but also reflect on how high the price of freedom is. I said today during talks with the Foreign Minister that my generation seemed to read about war, heroism and modern patriotism only in books. Now you see what it means to sacrifice your life for your own country, because Ukraine is defending its people, its territory and the future of its children. In my view, that will be the main message in Bucha.”
BNT: This is the first time Ukraine is being visited within the framework of bilateral relations by a caretaker government, and the first time representatives of such a government are in Ukraine. What message do we want to send with this visit? First, that a caretaker government is here, and second, that this is the first visit of its kind in bilateral relations…
Nadezhda Neynski – Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs:
“What our Ukrainian friends also mentioned is that they highly appreciate, including our courage to come here today, and to do so with such a large delegation. Many countries that support them are not inclined to travel so many kilometres to demonstrate that support. I believe that friendships become evident in difficult times, because when everything is fine, it is very easy to be someone’s friend. True friendships are recognised in moments of hardship, of great trials. Ukraine is literally facing immense challenges.
If in the past there was the Holodomor (massive man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians), which we know, now they speak of a “kholodomor” (literally “death by cold”), referring to the freezing conditions imposed on them by the Russian Federation. The disruption of electricity supply, along with the psychological, military and other forms of pressure they are subjected to, is undoubtedly painful, but it also builds resilience – and today I saw people with strength of character.”
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