site.btaMajority of Bulgarians Believe Bulgaria Should Remain Neutral Over War in Ukraine

According to 67 per cent of respondents of a Market Links/bTV opinion poll, Bulgaria should remain neutral over the war in Ukraine. 16 per cent believe the country should send weapons to Ukraine, and 17 per cent are undecided. 

The poll was conducted among 1,029 adult Bulgarians between March 22 and 29, 2022. 

A small number of respondents shared the opinion of the Russian state and military leadership that the situation in Ukraine is a “military operation” and not a war. Some 40 per cent believe sanctioning Russia is a fair measure, while 34 per cent share the opposite opinion. 

The Bulgarian society takes a moderate stance on the great geopolitical conflict provoked by the war in Ukraine, but also expects cooperation between EU member states for overcoming the crisis. 

People over the age of 55 are observed to support the Russian position more often than the younger respondents, who are more likely to share pro-western opinions. Those living in Sofia are also more pro-western as opposed to the dwellers in regional capitals, smaller towns and villages.  

The strongest pro-Russian attitudes are seen among supporters of the Vazrazhdane parliamentary party. Similar to theirs are the positions of the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s (BSP) voters. The supporters of Continue the Change, the largest party in Parliament, are more moderate. The most pro-western opinions are seen among the supporters of the power-sharing Democratic Bulgaria coalition and the opposition GERB-UDF. 

The majority of respondents are supportive of receiving Ukrainian refugees (less so among the supporters of Vazrazhdane and BSP). 

According to 53 per cent of respondents, Ukrainian refugees should receive support, including financial. 30 per cent do not agree with that. 

Nearly half of the respondents do not see hybrid attacks in Bulgaria, despite the propaganda war between the EU/NATO and Russia.  

Respondents are aware of how much Bulgarian national security depends on NATO membership: 55 per cent agree that it is impossible for this country to protect its sovereignty on its own.

The poll found unusually high levels of support for the EU and NATO among Bulgarians: 77 and 61 per cent, respectively. The Market Links analysts comment that these results are influenced mainly by the conflict in Ukraine and the fears of conflict expansion and economic disturbances.