Bulgaria supports sanctions on Russia as a means to stop the invasion of Ukraine, but will probably seek an exemption from the ban on gas and oil imports if such a proposal is put forward by the European Union, Prime Minister Kirill Petkov said today.
Bulgaria, an EU and NATO member, is almost entirely dependent on gas supplies from Russia's Gazprom, while its only oil refinery, owned by Russia's LUKOIL, provides more than 60 percent of the fuel used in the country.
Washington is willing to move to ban imports of Russian oil into the United States without involving allies in Europe, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Germany, the biggest buyer of Russian crude, has rejected plans to ban energy imports, a stance advocated by Petkov.
"Bulgaria would support any kind of measures because we are really against war, but for these two (oil and gas), maybe we would ask for an exception. We have no current alternatives now, we are very dependent," Petkov said.
"We fully support the Ukrainian people, we supported the first package of sanctions, we are open to other sanctions, but these two, it would be very difficult for us to accept them as an economy and as a country," he explained.
The coalition government will also start buying 1.5 million tons of wheat to boost its stocks until next year's harvest and to avoid the risks that could arise from possible accidents at nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
Bulgaria does not, however, intend to ban wheat exports, he added, but will also increase its stocks of corn and sunflower seeds.
Source: APM
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