Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.novinite.com
Former Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky said in an interview with bTV that Bulgaria has full grounds to request NATO consultations under Article 4 following the drone attacks in the Black Sea, stressing that the conflict has reached the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone and poses a national security threat.
Neynsky noted that Article 4 does not automatically trigger Article 5 and said Bulgaria should raise its security concerns over the Black Sea with its NATO allies. She argued that the war can no longer be viewed as a distant foreign conflict because it has reached Bulgaria’s maritime economic zone.
“Security in the Black Sea is also an economic issue. If shipping is threatened, it affects the pockets of ordinary Bulgarians. Regarding the convening of the Consultative Council for National Security (CCNS) – the question is why it is happening only now. While we wait to hear from the authorities who is responsible for the attacks, the most important thing is to know what security measures are being taken. We expect more than just a statement on whose drone it was; we expect to hear what steps will be taken to prevent a recurrence,” she emphasized.
Neynsky recalled that Ukraine’s ambassador had recently been summoned over a drone that fell in Bulgaria. She said she hoped Russia’s ambassador would also be summoned and that the security situation in the Black Sea would be raised.
“I recall that the Ukrainian ambassador was recently summoned due to a fallen drone. It comes as no surprise to me, yet I still hope for a first instance where the Russian ambassador is also summoned and the issue of the situation in the Black Sea is raised,” she added.
According to Neynsky, the drones involved in the Black Sea attacks were not random occurrences but represented a deliberate provocation and targeted attack. She said Russia was seeking to trigger domestic debates in individual countries about their security, warning that fear could lead to poor decisions.
“Russia aims to spark debates within individual countries regarding their security. Fear always leads to poor decisions,” Neynsky said.
She also questioned why the Consultative Council on National Security was being convened only now and said the National Assembly should also meet to discuss the country’s security situation.
“The Council was established to facilitate consultations between political and military leadership in the face of a specific threat. However, the National Assembly must be convened; there needs to be a debate to formulate a unified national position on national security, the threats, and the measures to be taken,” Neynsky said.
