Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is planning to take in response to Russia's capture of 14 Bulgarian sailors who were stranded in Mariupol as hostages; whether the Government has provided support to the government of Bulgaria to resist Russian demands; and if he will make a statement.

The UK and Bulgaria are strong friends and partners and NATO allies. We work closely together with Bulgarian counterparts at all levels in response to Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine including on our diplomatic responses, advancing our common security interests, energy diversification and joint working on countering disinformation. I discussed the response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine when he visited Sofia in March 2023.