Russia criticizes EU member’s risky behavior- Analysis

Bulgaria’s decision to deny airspace to a Russian plane traveling to an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in North Macedonia has been deemed illegal by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, claimed that Bulgaria’s refusal can only be attributed to an irrational desire to antagonize Moscow. At first, the plane was scheduled to fly over the EU state to transport Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other officials to the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje. However, Sofia denied entry to the aircraft, citing the presence of Zakharova, who has been under EU sanctions since the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Despite this obstacle, the Russian delegation still managed to reach Skopje with a detour via Turkey and Greece. Zakharova condemned the incident as the “evil stupidity of Russophobes” and criticized the decision as a violation of international law. She also warned that Russia could take similar measures against NATO officials sanctioned by the country. The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, labeled Bulgaria’s move as “absurd” and urged Sofia to maintain sobriety. Lavrov’s visit to the summit, the first since December 2021, is expected to address a busy agenda, including meetings with officials from Armenia, Hungary, and Austria.

Source: RT news: Moscow blasts EU member’s ‘dangerous stupidity’