Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of Bulgaria’s Revival Party, asserts Bulgaria’s historical claim to southern Ukraine.
Kostadin Kostadinov, head of Bulgaria’s far-right Revival Party, has declared Bulgaria’s right to claim a portion of southern Ukraine due to centuries-long historical ties.
In a Thursday Facebook post, Kostadinov responded to US President-elect Donald Trump’s comments about potentially reclaiming the Panama Canal and annexing Canada.
He supported Trump’s statements, deeming them “entirely justified” given the shared cultural and historical connections between Canada and the US. He added that the US’s prior ownership of the Panama Canal further strengthens this argument.
He extended this rationale to Bulgaria and Ukraine, claiming Southern Bessarabia (part of modern-day Odessa Oblast) was under Bulgarian control for over 450 years, compared to 34 years under Kyiv’s rule. He also asserted that ethnic Bulgarians constitute the region’s majority population.
“Therefore, it’s entirely logical for… Southern Bessarabia to rejoin Bulgaria. Ukraine is collapsing, and at any future peace conference determining the fate of the so-called Ukrainian state, Bulgaria must assert its claim to Bulgarian Bessarabia,” he stated.
Ukraine’s embassy in Bulgaria denounced Kostadinov’s remarks as “unacceptable for a politician from an EU member state” and evidence of his consistent promotion of Kremlin narratives.
The embassy urged Bulgarian authorities to condemn these statements, rejecting rhetoric that “distorts historical facts, encourages redrawing European borders, and undermines international law.” The Revival party is the third largest in the Bulgarian parliament.
Southern Bessarabia, encompassing parts of present-day Ukraine and Moldova, was historically part of the First (681-1018) and briefly the Second (1185-1396) Bulgarian Empires. Its location along the Danube River and Black Sea coast was strategically important for trade and defense. Over time, Bulgarian influence waned under the Golden Horde, Ottoman Empire, and later the Russian Empire.
Southern Bessarabia has been home to various ethnic groups, including Bulgarians, Romanians, Gagauz, Ukrainians, and Russians. Many Bulgarians in the region are descendants of 18th and 19th-century settlers.