Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Kiril Petkov: By turning away from Russian gas, Bulgaria has taken a leadership position in the EU

Kiril Petkov
Photo: BGNES-archive

Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev held a phone call with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda. The two heads of state discussed the situation in Ukraine and the security environment in the region. Presidents Radev and Duda expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine and support for the country’s European perspective. Rumen Radev and Andrzej Duda also discussed NATO’s enlargement and strengthening its defense potential. The two also discussed the process of European integration of the countries in the Western Balkans.

Bulgaria’s Premier Kiril Petkov told CNBC that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be wary of using gas as a weapon, because he is losing clients for good. Several weeks ago, Bulgaria decided that it would not pay for Russian gas in Rubles, as demanded by Moscow, because it represented a breach of contract. In turn, Russia cut its gas supplies to Bulgaria. Kiril Petkov said he didn’t regret the decision to refuse Moscow’s demand, saying his country had showed Putin that “Bulgaria can stand on its feet, that gas dependency cannot be a way to influence our foreign policy, that we, as Europeans, can hold firm under pressure”. By turning away from Russian gas, Petkov said Bulgaria had taken a leadership position in the EU, CNBC reports.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Warm weather expected on Palm Sunday

On Sunday, the lowest temperatures will range between 1°C and 6°C, around 2°C in Sofia. During the day, it will be mostly sunny, with temporary increases in cloudiness. There will be light to moderate southerly and southeasterly winds. It will warm..

published on 4/12/25 6:50 PM
Siyana's father Nikolaj Popov in Telish, April 12

Protests against the war on the roads took place across the country

Protests demanding safer roads following the death of 12-year-old Siyana Popova took place across the country. Thousands of people gathered in the square in the village of Telish, Northwestern Bulgaria.  "I am a voice, a father who lost his child,..

published on 4/12/25 6:38 PM

Protest in Sofia demands rule of law

The Justice for All  Initiative organized a protest march titled "Peevski Out of Power". It took place in central Sofia on the eve of Constitution Day, April 16. The citizens expressed their support for the constitutionally established principles of..

published on 4/12/25 5:42 PM