Bulgaria has offered to host possible negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as Russia's attack on its neighbour intensifies.
"We see that there is a growing realization on both sides that war is not a solution," Bulgarian President Rumen Radev told reporters during a visit to a border crossing between Romania and Bulgaria, which is being used by Ukrainian refugees. Around 30,000 Ukrainians have fled to Bulgaria.
Bulgaria, now a European Union and NATO country, was previously viewed as one of Moscow's staunchest allies during the Cold War.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met his Ukrainian counterpart in Turkey on Thursday for largely unproductive talks, but mooted the idea of a possible meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
