Bulgaria to suspend Russian gas transit for short-term contracts in 2026
Bulgaria will suspend Russian gas transit for short-term contracts in 2026 as part of European Union plans to cut off Russian gas imports completely, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told Bulgarian news agency BTA.
The European Union initially planned to cut off imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027, which would end decades-old energy relations with a country that was once Europe's biggest gas supplier.
Last week, however, EU officials said the bloc was negotiating to find a legal way to bring that forward by a year (learn more). The EU sanctions proposal still requires unanimous backing from EU member states. Hungary and Slovakia have vowed to oppose new sanctions on Russian energy.
"As a member of the EU, we will join the decision to suspend, in the short term, in 2026, contracts for the use or transit of Russian natural gas, and in the long term, by 2028," BTA quoted Zhelyazkov as saying on Wednesday.
Bulgaria's energy minister Zhecho Stankov said that cutting off Russian gas imports "gives Bulgaria tremendous potential to become a major transit country for natural gas from LNG terminals in the U.S."
"As of yesterday, we have two deliveries confirmed for November and December, which will be supplied for consumption by Bulgarian citizens and businesses, originating from LNG terminals in the U.S.," he said.
European Union member Bulgaria, which had been totally dependent on Russian gas until 2022, has been seeking to diversify its gas supplies and find cheaper sources. The Russian gas was substituted with Azeri gas and liquefied natural gas from a terminal in Greece.
Hungary's foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said that Bulgaria's minister for energy had assured him that Bulgaria would continue to be a reliable transit partner for Hungary.
Slovakia on Wednesday pushed back on pressure it is facing to cut back its purchases of Russian energy, saying it was ready to discuss the issue.
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