Lead
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Rumen Radev has vowed to veto the European Union's 21st package of sanctions against Russia if it harms Bulgarian interests, adding another fissure to the bloc's efforts to maintain a united front over Moscow's war in Ukraine. The prime minister's pledge was made during a briefing on June 18, as the EU considers sanctions that would include Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Lukoil founder Vagit Alekperov.
Radev's stance was echoed by Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova, who said earlier that Bulgaria does not support sanctions that could damage member states' economies more than they damage Russia, and singled out symbolic sanctions against the patriarch as counter-productive.
Coverage Comparison
Deutsche Welle's coverage frames Radev's veto threat as a clash between Bulgaria's national interests and EU solidarity, noting that Bulgaria was the only member state to object when the EU moved to include Patriarch Kirill and Vagit Alekperov in the latest sanctions package. The outlet quotes Radev's historical arguments and links the dispute to Lukoil's refinery in Bulgaria, reporting that the country took over the refinery after US sanctions on the Russian company in 2025, and that Litasco, Lukoil's Swiss subsidiary, warned of legal action.
TASS, the Russian state agency, reported Radev's statements in a neutral tone, quoting his promise to veto the package to defend national interests. TASS also quoted Petrova-Chamova's remarks about not supporting sanctions that could hurt EU member states more than Russia.
Key Claims
According to TASS, Prime Minister Radev said during a briefing on June 18 that Bulgaria will not allow sanctions that negatively affect its economy. He was quoted as saying: "We will not allow sanctions that negatively affect the Bulgarian economy," and added that "This war has long gone beyond the trenches and spread to the economy, energy, sports, and culture, and now there are attempts to extend it to religion as well. I believe the era of crusades is over." He also said, "When I previously represented Bulgaria's interests in the European Union, I prevented sanctions against Rosatom that were ready to be introduced, because they could have created serious problems for our nuclear energy sector."
Deutsche Welle reported that Radev made his first public veto threat during a doorstep interview with Bulgarian journalists in Brussels on June 18, when he said: "We won't allow sanctions that harm Bulgaria and its economy." The report said he was concerned about disruption to Lukoil's oil refinery operations in Burgas, as well as supplies of fertilizers and spare parts for the Sofia metro.
TASS reported that Radev also expressed doubt about the effectiveness of the EU's sanction packages, stating that the 20 already adopted packages "have had no impact whatsoever on the course of the war," and questioning whether the 21st would be any different. Deutsche Welle's report does not mention these doubts, focusing instead on the specific objections raised by Bulgaria.
Perspectives
Bulgarian Government
Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova maintain that sanctions that damage Bulgaria's economy more than Russia's are unacceptable. Radev said he would veto the package to defend national interests, and Petrova-Chamova argued that sanctions without economic effect, such as those against Patriarch Kirill, are "counter-productive." They stressed that Bulgaria must ensure energy stability.
European Union
The European Union is presented as planning the 21st sanctions package that includes individuals like Patriarch Kirill and Vagit Alekperov. Only Bulgaria objected, according to Deutsche Welle, which noted that Radev supported the opening of EU accession talks with Ukraine and met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels, but his veto threat came days after Bulgaria banned state arms supplies to Kyiv.