UPDATE 1-Kremlin encouraged by Bulgarian Radev's desire to resolve issues with Russia via talks

The Kremlin said ​on Monday that it was ​encouraged by Bulgarian politician ‌Rumen ​Radev's desire to resolve issues with Russia via pragmatic talks after he won a landslide election ‌victory on Sunday.

Official results showed that Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party had won convincingly, sidelining long-dominant political forces and potentially pushing the European Union ‌and NATO member state closer to Moscow. Radev, a former president and ‌fighter pilot opposed to military support for Ukraine's war effort against Moscow, has talked about improving ties with Moscow and resuming the free flow of Russian oil ⁠and gas ​into Europe.

Asked ⁠on Monday by a reporter about purported panic in Europe over Radev's victory and ⁠whether Radev was a Russian "Trojan Horse", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "...We ​are, of course, encouraged by the words of Mr. Radev, who ⁠won the elections, as well as those of certain other European leaders, regarding ⁠their ​readiness to resolve issues through dialogue."

But Peskov said he thought it would be premature to draw wider conclusions about whether the ⁠overall political climate in Europe was changing given what he said were ⁠the usual ⁠statements - which he has in the past described as anti-Russian - emanating from the European Commission in Brussels.

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