Bulgaria pledges to end Russian gas transit deal in 2026

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has said that Bulgaria will terminate its contract for the transit of Russian gas in 2026.

"As part of the European Union, Bulgaria will join the EU’s decision to terminate in the short term – in 2026 – contracts for the use or transit of Russian natural gas," Zhelyazkov said, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, as cited by BNR (Bulgarian National Radio).

Commenting on US President Donald Trump’s call for Europe to stop purchasing Russian energy, Zhelyazkov added that in the long term, by 2028, Bulgaria aims to completely exclude Russian gas from its energy market.

Trump has threatened to impose high tariffs on India and China for buying Russian energy.

He has also stated that before the US introduces measures against Russia, European countries must stop buying Russian energy resources, because they are "funding the war against themselves".