Bulgaria elects Russia-friendly Iliana Yotova as president

Acting President Iliana Yotova won Sunday's presidential runoff in Bulgaria with 57.57% of the vote, according to final Central Election Commission results with all polling stations counted. Andrey Gyurov got 39.48%, and 2.95% chose "I support no one." Turnout was only about 27%. Yotova becomes the first woman elected president of Bulgaria, an EU and NATO member. Her five-year term starts Jan. 22, 2027.

Yotova opposes military aid to Ukraine and has called for dialogue with Moscow, the Kyiv Independent notes. Bulgarians abroad split sharply: Gyurov took 67.5% of votes cast in the United States, while Yotova won 84% in Russia, Nova reports.