As reported by Maria Tadeo of Euronews, Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov said his country’s participation in the Board of Peace led by US President Donald Trump was driven by the interests of “one oligarch” rather than a national political consensus. According to Euronews, Gyurov stressed that the treaty underpinning Bulgaria’s involvement has not yet been ratified by the Bulgarian parliament and was only signed on the understanding that lawmakers would later approve it. He argued that, in legal and political terms, Bulgaria has therefore not fully joined the Board of Peace.
According to Euronews, Gyurov explained that the decision stemmed from domestic political maneuvering linked to a powerful businessman under Global Magnitsky Act sanctions, rather than from a formal foreign policy debate. The oligarch, not named in the interview but widely understood to be Delyan Peevski, is sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom for alleged bribery and corruption. Euronews reports that Gyurov framed the signing as an attempt to secure the oligarch’s removal from the sanctions list rather than to advance Bulgaria’s strategic interests.
Euronews notes that Bulgaria was among a limited number of European Union states that agreed to join the Board of Peace, a contentious initiative launched by President Trump in January. The move was pushed by former Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov and approved just days before his government collapsed amid the largest protests the country had seen in decades. Gyurov is currently leading a caretaker government ahead of elections scheduled for 19 April, and he indicated that parliament could still refuse to ratify the treaty or send it to the Constitutional Court for review.
What reactions and concerns have emerged?
According to Euronews, Gyurov said that describing participation in the Board of Peace as “the position of Bulgaria” would be an exaggeration because it does not reflect a broad political consensus. He told the outlet that the matter was “not a question of international politics” or even local politics, but “a personal question of one oligarch who is sanctioned by the Global Magnitsky Act.” Gyurov added that he doubted the strategy of using the agreement to secure the oligarch’s removal from the sanctions list would succeed and expressed surprise at the level of influence such a figure could exert over some parties.
Euronews reports that many EU member states have stayed away from the Board of Peace, viewing it as incompatible with their obligations under the United Nations charter. A legal analysis prepared within the European Union has raised serious concerns about the Board’s scope, mandate and institutional design, pointing in particular to the extensive powers assigned to President Trump as chair without a clear time limit. These concerns have contributed to reluctance in European capitals to associate formally with the structure.
In his interview, Gyurov said the Board of Peace was initially presented in Bulgaria as a vehicle to support reconstruction in Gaza following the Israel–Hamas war. According to Euronews, he indicated that while Bulgaria supports an “extensive plan for peace in Gaza,” the expansion of the Board’s mandate by Trump to a broader global role has altered the political calculus. He suggested that under this broader mandate, Bulgaria’s participation should be reconsidered.
Supporting details and political background
According to Euronews, Gyurov underlined that the Bulgarian parliament has not yet received the treaty for ratification and that this procedural step will be decisive. He said the agreement was signed with the explicit proviso that it would require subsequent parliamentary approval, reinforcing his argument that Bulgaria is not yet bound. Gyurov also noted that even if lawmakers approve the treaty, it could be challenged before the Constitutional Court, where judges would assess its compatibility with Bulgaria’s legal commitments.
Euronews reports that the political backdrop to the decision includes the collapse of Rossen Zhelyazkov’s government after mass demonstrations, which were described as the largest protests in Bulgaria in decades. The move to join the Board of Peace was taken just before that collapse, raising questions about accountability and oversight. Gyurov’s comments signal an effort by the caretaker administration to distance itself from the decision and to reframe it as a product of narrow interests rather than state policy.
According to Euronews, the unnamed oligarch at the center of the controversy, widely identified in public discussion as Delyan Peevski, has long been viewed as an influential figure operating largely behind the scenes in Bulgarian politics. Peevski’s sanctions by Washington and London over alleged corruption have drawn international attention and fed domestic debate about oligarchic influence in Bulgaria’s institutions. Gyurov’s remarks highlight how those sanctions, and the attempt to ease them, have now intersected with Bulgaria’s foreign policy stance toward a high-profile US-led initiative.
What are the implications and what happens next?
According to Euronews, Gyurov indicated that Bulgaria intends to maintain its longstanding partnership with the United States despite his criticism of the way the Board of Peace decision was handled. He emphasized the importance of preserving transatlantic relationships that “have worked on both sides of the Atlantic for many years” and stressed the need for ongoing dialogue. At the same time, he said it is important for Europe to be strong and “stand on its own two feet,” reflecting wider EU debates about strategic autonomy.
Euronews reports that Gyurov expects Bulgaria to continue supporting measures specifically related to peace and reconstruction in Gaza, even if other elements of the Board of Peace treaty do not move forward. He said that parts of the agreement dealing with Gaza could still be ratified, suggesting a more limited role for Bulgaria within or alongside the framework originally proposed. However, he expressed doubt that the broader treaty, as expanded by Trump to cover global issues, would be approved by the Bulgarian parliament.
The next key step will be whether the government formally submits the treaty to parliament and how lawmakers respond, according to Euronews. A parliamentary rejection or referral to the Constitutional Court would clarify Bulgaria’s legal position and could influence how other EU countries approach the Board of Peace. For now, Gyurov’s comments mark a clear effort to walk back Bulgaria’s apparent commitment and to recast the decision as the product of an individual oligarch’s interests rather than a considered national policy.
In sum, Bulgaria’s caretaker prime minister has publicly questioned the legitimacy and wisdom of the country’s tentative engagement with Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, attributing the original move to the influence of a sanctioned oligarch and signaling that the treaty may never be ratified by parliament. His remarks underscore broader European unease over the Board’s legal foundations and the concentration of authority it grants the US president, even as Sofia seeks to maintain close ties with Washington and support for peace efforts in Gaza.
