President Radev: We are approaching the moment when Ukraine will be left without people on the battlefield

The fourth meeting of the European Political Community is held in the UK on July 18, at Blenham Palace near Oxford, bringing together over 40 European leaders. Bulgaria is represented by President Rumen Radev. The forum, set up after the start of the war in Ukraine, discusses support for the country as well as common challenges on the European continent, such as energy, security, democracy and migration.

Images by AP/BTA

The meeting began with a formal photo of the leaders. A number of bilateral meetings took place alongside the general sessions. The Bulgarian President held talks with North Macedonian Prime Minister Christian Mitkoski, to whom he expressed hope that our south-western neighbour would speed up the implementation of the bilateral Treaty of Good Neighbourliness. The President also had talks with Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz.

The Head of State highlighted NATO's role in ensuring the security of the member states in the deteriorated international security environment following Russia's war against Ukraine in a conversation with the Alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Rumen Radev has discussed the prospects of ending Russia's war against Ukraine and guaranteeing peace in Europe with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"And if we continue to wage the same style of war, with the same intensity - we are approaching the moment when Ukraine will be left without people on the battlefield. Well, then we will all face an incredibly difficult political and moral dilemma - on the one hand, if we don't continue to support Ukraine - we compromise our values, but if we continue to support - how are we going to do it - are we going to send people? This is absurd! So the sooner the necessary decisions are taken to finally use diplomacy as one of the strongest tools for conflict resolution, the better," Head of State Rumen Radev said.

The topic of Ukraine was also at the forefront of the leaders' joint meetings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the forum.

"It is very important for us to maintain unity in Europe because it always leads to strong solutions. Such strong decisions concern first of all - air defence, energy and peace summit," Volodymyr Zelensky - President of Ukraine emphasised.

"They believe they can militarily destroy Russia - I don't think so, because you can't find a solution to the conflict on the battlefield. And because I know the Russians, I know the Soviet Union, I know the Ukrainians and the whole context - it is simply not possible to find a solution on the battlefield. We are losing thousands of lives every day. We have to stop this," Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, was adamant.

The issue of Ukraine was also at the forefront of the leaders' joint meetings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the forum.

"It is very important for us to maintain unity in Europe because it always leads to strong solutions. Such strong decisions concern first of all - air defence, energy and peace summit," Volodymyr Zelensky - President of Ukraine emphasised.

"They believe they can militarily destroy Russia - I don't think so, because you can't find a solution to the conflict on the battlefield. And because I know the Russians, I know the Soviet Union, I know the Ukrainians and the whole context - it is simply not possible to find a solution on the battlefield. We are losing thousands of lives every day. We have to stop this," Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, said.

The new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer used the forum to promise that he would restore the UK's relationship with the European Union.

The leaders are due to meet UK's King Charles III.