INTERNATIONAL: Protesters for and against support to Ukraine demonstrated in the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Wednesday 4th May as lawmakers voted on how much support to give the country in its fight against Russia's invasion.
The two sides, one calling for increased support to Ukraine's government and another pressing for Bulgaria to stay neutral, scuffled in front of a monument to the Soviet army.
Protester Kiril Choukanov said those in support of military aid to Ukraine thought proposals being debated in parliament did not go far enough.
Bulgaria's parliament voted on Wednesday to allow repairs of Ukraine's heavy military equipment and seek ways to help Ukrainian exports of grains and electricity, but circumvented proposals to provide direct military aid to Kyiv.
Kostadin Kostadinov, the leader of the ultranationalist 'Revival Party' addressed counter protesters, saying those in support of aid to Ukraine wanted to see Bulgaria get involved in the conflict.
Kiril Choukanov, protester for Ukraine said:
"Today we began with a demonstration in front of the parliament, we support military aid to Ukraine. What is being voted on is not real military support. Here, there is an event announced and coordinated with the municipality and the police for wrapping the monument of the Soviet Army. It is part of the cause of dismantling this infamous symbol of the occupying Red Army."
Leader Of Ultranationalist 'Revival' Party, Kostadin Kostadinov, Said:
"Those foreigners, those people waving foreign flags, those people who want Bulgaria to intervene in another's war, those people who want Bulgaria to get into a conflict - I want to tell them something. What you, foreigners want, we Bulgarians won't allow. This here is Bulgaria and only the word of Bulgaria will be heard. Long live Bulgaria!"
"Let us not allow these sellouts to provoke us. This is Bulgaria. What we, the Bulgarians, are saying will happen here, not the national traitors. For national traitors, there will be one sentence and it will catch up with them very soon."
Another protester for support to Ukraine, Plamen Stoev, told reporters
"They (Ukraine) are the victims, and we must demonstrate to our friends in Europe that we are Europe. We are not the rest of the world."
EU and NATO member Bulgaria has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, supported sanctions against Moscow, refused to pay for Russian gas with roubles and hosted more than 90,000 Ukrainian refugees.
