Investing in the security of the Black Sea will guarantee peace and freedom in the region and Europe. Bulgaria supports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's peace formula and will participate in the Ukraine Peace Conference in Switzerland in June, caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Stefan Dimitrov said at the Second Black Sea Security Conference in the Central Military Club in Sofia. The forum is held within the framework of the International Crimea Platform. It is organized by Bulgaria's and Ukraine's Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense in partnership with the Ukrainian Centre for Defense Strategies.

''Allies in the Black Sea region can rely on the United States. Putin thought that Ukraine's neighbours would be disunited, but he was wrong'', US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said via a video link. ''We worked with Bulgaria to deter foreign disinformation", Blinken said. He emphasized the need for Western assistance to strengthen Kyiv's military capabilities.

''We need to strengthen security in the Black Sea, which is crucial for Bulgaria. Ukraine, Turkiye and Romania, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said in a video link. "Only Russia's defeat and the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity will guarantee stability and peace", Dmytro Kuleba said further.

• Bulgaria and Ukraine to co-host the Second Black Sea Security Conference