The Russian giant Gazprom, the gas arm of the Kremlin, did not aim at random with the gas blockade for Poland and Bulgaria. Moscow is “punishing” Warsaw, the most vicious European capital, and trying to weaken Bulgaria, NATO’s weakest link. Sofia is not only heavily dependent on Gazprom – 75% to 90% of its supplies. It is governed by a coalition that is being swept up by the war in Ukraine.
With Hungary and Bulgaria deaf to Zelensky’s cries for help
The Russian faucet was turned off just as Kiril Petkov, the reformist and Europhile prime minister, left for Kyiv at the head of a “mission to assess” Ukraine’s needs. He hoped to bring representatives of all sections of his majority there to persuade them to supply arms to the country under attack – Bulgaria is the only EU country, along with Viktor Orban’s Hungary, to be deaf to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s calls for help.
But the Bulgarian Socialist Party (PSB, ex-communist) boycotted the trip. The very Russophile PSB refuses to deliver even a single cartridge to Kyiv. Otherwise, Economics Minister Kornelia Ninova, who heads the government, would slam the door to the coalition and provoke early parliamentary elections.
Sneak Weapon Supplies
Despite outward denials, it appears that Ukraine is quietly procuring the Soviet-style small arms and ammunition that Bulgarian manufacturers continue to produce in large quantities. According to the magazine “Kapital” and the website “Dnevnik”, intermediaries have obtained export licenses for third countries and the supplies have gone to Rzeszów, the city in southern Poland through which NATO aid is routed to Kyiv.
Azerbaijan to the rescue
Still, the gas might not already be enough leverage to pressurize Sofia. This autumn, with a delay, a 182 km long link will be put into operation, connecting the Bulgarian grid with the major gas pipeline that runs through Komotini (Greece) and transports gas from Azerbaijan to Italy. This frees Bulgaria from Russian dependence. Sofia and Baku have already signed a contract to cover 30% of Bulgaria’s needs. And Azerbaijan says it is ready to provide much more.
war in Ukraine. Putin sows discord in BulgariaEXPAND