site.btaTribute Event Honouring Heroism of Ukrainian People Held in Sofia
A tribute event honouring the heroism of the Ukrainian people was held at St Alexander Nevsky Square in Sofia on Tuesday to mark four years since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Among those attending were caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Olesya Ilashchuk.
The event was organised by Forum for Democratic Action, Bessarabian Front 2.0 and the Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria.
In his address, Gurov said that over the past four years Ukraine has not been fighting only for its own freedom. "It is fighting for the freedom of Europe, of Bulgaria and for a world in which the rule of law is stronger than the law of force," he said.
"Support for Ukraine is not ideological, it is not a political decision, but a deeply patriotic one, because we know that the only guarantee for Bulgaria’s independence and development is a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe. And this can only be a reality if Ukraine does not lose this war," Gurov said.
He added that Ukraine is not losing the war. "The one who is losing the war is [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Russia has not achieved any of its stated goals – it is losing human and economic resources, and it is losing international standing,” the Prime Minister said.
Gurov stressed that support for Ukraine must not stop. "We all hope that a just and lasting peace in Ukraine will soon become a reality, but until that happens, we must continue to provide support – humanitarian, defence and economic. This caretaker government will guarantee that this support will not cease," he added.
Sofia Mayor Terziev said that although Bulgaria is not under physical attack, Bulgarian homes are not destroyed and children attend school, the country is also under attack. "Our information environment is under attack, trust between people is under attack, and faith in democratic institutions is under attack," he said.
"The history of this city has taught us that freedom is never a gift. It is always a choice and an effort," Terziev added. "Ukraine is defending its territory; we must defend our institutions. They fight with weapons. We fight with responsibility, awareness and active civic engagement."
Ambassador Ilashchuk said: "Four years ago, the world heard the phrase 'we will take Kyiv in three days'. Today those words sound like a gravestone of the aggressor's self-delusion and, at the same time, proof of Ukraine's heroism and resilience."
"In 2025, Russian aggression has taken the most lives, and Ukrainians are even more insistent on achieving a lasting peace," she added.
/DS/
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