Kiril Petkov on April 27, 2022 in Sofia. FLORIAN RAINER FOR “THE WORLD”
Kiril Petkov, 42, has headed the Bulgarian government since December 2021. A staunchly pro-European centrist, he must contend with a coalition partner and an openly pro-Moscow president while Russia on Tuesday ordered 26 gas deliveries in retaliation for Bulgaria’s refusal to pay Gazprom in rubles.
Has Russia actually stopped gas supplies to Bulgaria?
Yes, the gas has been off since Wednesday April 27th at 9am. We were notified the day before.
And how long can you last?
We have direct reserves that we can hold out for more than a month under unchanged circumstances. But we hope to complete the construction of the new interconnector with Greece by the end of June. And we also rely on the joint liquid gas purchasing strategy of the European Commission.
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We must indeed act together and swiftly. Because we won’t give in. Nobody has the right to unilaterally change the terms of the contract. If we give in, it would be the first rift in the European family, and Bulgaria will not be the cause of this rift.
What kind of help do you expect from the European Union?
Specifically, we hope for help in procuring gas from Azerbaijan as soon as possible. We also hope to jointly purchase liquefied natural gas (LNG). We expect a unified response from all European countries. We are strong in unity, not in divisions.
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Germany is against a common gas purchasing policy, are you asking Berlin to change its position?
We ask Berlin to stand strongly behind us, to say that paying in rubles is unacceptable and to say that nobody has the right to unilaterally change a contract.
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Why do you think Bulgaria (along with Poland) was specifically targeted by Gazprom?
I think it is due to the payment deadline. We were the first to pay and we refused to do it in rubles. I think other European countries will follow. However, we also have an incredibly aggressive Russian ambassador in Sofia. She is by no means worthy of a diplomat, and perhaps her aggressive internal connections also played a part.
Do you think Russia is trying to destabilize your government?
I’m sure the Russian authorities don’t like our government at all and would like to hear more pro-Russian positions in Sofia. You said yourself that you would be happy if someone other than us filled our posts.
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