As Sofia plan to introduce a controversial new transit tax on Russian gas they receive into the EU, Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov has pointed his finger at Hungary and Serbia for supporting the Kremlin’s „war machine” in failing to seek alternative energy supplies.
Denkov claims that the move is intended to starve state-controlled exporter Gazprom PJSC of profits used to fund the war against Ukraine. Hungary called the move a „hostile act,” while Serbia said it threatens vital fuel supplies to the region. The standoff reveals how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion has reshaped energy supplies in the region, triggering the gravest cost-of-living crisis for consumers in decades. Denkov insists that the regulation is in line with EU rules and is open to talks with both Budapest and Belgrade. Bulgaria is part of a joint initiative of NATO member states in the Black Sea region, along with Romania and Turkey, to set up a mine-sweeping mission. Denkov is concerned about Russia’s aggression in eastern Europe and believes the Kremlin is „looking for restoring the power of the Soviet Union, of the Russian Empire.”
