Yotova proposes Black Sea security forum and urges EU to put forward concrete peace proposals

At a meeting on 6 November 2026 at 2 Dondukov Boulevard in Sofia, President Iliana Yotova proposed a Black Sea security forum and called on the EU to put forward concrete proposals for peace in Ukraine. BTA reported this, citing the presidential press office. According to the same statement, Yotova met representatives of the US National Defense University taking part in the Capstone programme. The initiative is known through this statement; Flank had found no independent confirmation at the time of publication.

Proposed forum would involve six Black Sea states

According to the statement carried by BTA, Yotova proposes that Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine and Russia take part in the forum. The statement says the initiative should lead to a moratorium on military operations in the Black Sea.

Discussing regional security, Iliana Yotova warned of the economic, financial and energy risks that she believes stem from attacks on ships. In the same statement, she calls for Europe to play an active role in peace negotiations and for the EU to propose concrete solutions both for Ukraine and for the European security architecture.

In Flank’s assessment, the proposal encompasses two distinct tasks: a political settlement of the war and the reduction of military risks in a specific maritime area. A regional moratorium could be a more limited arrangement, but would not in itself constitute a peace agreement.

No confirmation of support from the other states

There is as yet no public confirmation of whether the other states named have accepted the idea, whether official invitations have been sent or whether there is a coordinated position among Bulgarian institutions. The meeting with representatives of the US university does not in itself mean that the United States supports the initiative.

No draft agreement, timetable or precise scope for the proposed moratorium has been presented. For it to be implemented in practice, it will be important to clarify which military operations it covers, in which areas and against which targets, as well as how violations would be established and what their consequences would be.

For Bulgaria, the next substantive question is whether the president’s idea will gain support from other states and translate into concrete commitments. Its announcement does not mean that shipping conditions or the military risk in the Black Sea have already changed.