Two warnings on Ukraine's support and democracy, December 2023
A look back at Bulgaria's presidential veto on armoured vehicles and Kyiv's mayor on authoritarian drift, reported in the days before 5 December 2023.
What did the days leading up to 5 December 2023 reveal about the pressures around Ukraine, both abroad and at home?
Two reports from 3 and 4 December pointed in different directions but shared a theme: the strain on Ukraine's backing and on its political life.
On 4 December, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev vetoed a proposed agreement to provide Ukraine with armoured vehicles. The veto returned the agreement to parliament, leaving the question of that military assistance open.
A day earlier, on 3 December, the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, gave an interview to Der Spiegel. He said Ukraine was heading toward authoritarianism. He also said the President's Office viewed mayors as an impediment to consolidating power.
Taken together, the reports showed that Ukraine's position was being tested on two fronts as 5 December approached: the willingness of a partner country's head of state to endorse military aid, and a public warning from the capital's mayor about how power was being exercised in Ukraine itself.
