Bulgarian Defense Minister Krasimir Karakacanov used Bulgaria’s offer to donate coronavirus vaccines to Macedonia, which is being left out of the initial distribution, for nationalist chest thumping.

In a TV interview, Karakcanov said that the vaccines are not given to neighbors but to “our fellow compatriots” and then went on to say that Bulgaria will donate vaccines not just to Macedonia, but to Serbia, Ukraine, and Moldova – wherever there are Bulgarian communities.

After all, Bulgaria is the home of all Bulgarians, and we have compatriots who live outside of the European Union. There are 120,000 Bulgarian citizens along the Vardar, they need and can be vaccinated. We have compatriots in Ukraine, Moldova, I’m talking about compact communities wo are also Bulgarians and we need to help them, Karakacanov said. So far there have been no announcements from the Macedonian Healthcare Ministry that the vaccines donated by Bulgaria will be given primarily to Macedonians who hold dual Bulgarian citizenship.

In his remarks Karakacanov also accused Macedonians of spreading hatred toward Bulgarians, Greeks and Albanians. “They only love the Serbs. For them, we are Tatars, fascists and occupiers”, Karakacanov said, before accusing Macedonians of “declaring that Jesus was a Macedonian”.