Relationship dossier
Bulgaria
Russia
Relationship assessment
Bulgaria–Russia relations are strained by the Ukraine war, sanctions, diplomatic expulsions and energy disputes.
Bulgaria toward Russia
-45Bulgaria has supported EU sanctions against Russia and assistance to Ukraine. Bulgarian governments have also expelled Russian diplomatic personnel over espionage concerns, including a large-scale expulsion in 2022. These actions have sharply strained relations with Moscow.
Russia toward Bulgaria
-35Russia halted gas supplies to Bulgaria in 2022 after Bulgaria rejected Gazprom’s revised payment terms. Russia also designated Bulgaria an “unfriendly” state in 2022, amid Bulgaria’s support for EU sanctions and Ukraine.
Overall relationship
-40The bilateral relationship has shifted from substantial historical and economic connections toward sustained confrontation, driven principally by Russia’s war against Ukraine, Bulgaria’s alignment with EU sanctions and support for Ukraine, and disputes over energy supplies and diplomatic activity.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Bulgaria’s relations with Russia have become substantially adversarial amid Russia’s war against Ukraine. Bulgaria has supported EU sanctions and Ukraine, while taking action against Russian diplomatic personnel over espionage concerns. Russia halted gas deliveries to Bulgaria in 2022 after a dispute over payment terms and included Bulgaria on its list of “unfriendly” states. These strains coexist with older historical, cultural and economic ties.
Areas of tension
- Bulgaria’s support for EU sanctions against Russia and assistance to Ukraine.
- Bulgarian expulsions of Russian diplomats over espionage allegations.
- Russia’s 2022 halt of gas deliveries to Bulgaria after a payment dispute.
- Russia’s designation of Bulgaria as an “unfriendly” state.
Key developments
Russia halted gas supplies to Bulgaria after Gazprom’s revised payment terms were rejected.
Bulgarian authorities expelled a large number of Russian diplomatic personnel amid espionage concerns.
Russia included Bulgaria on its list of “unfriendly” states.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of remaining bilateral energy and commercial cooperation is unclear.
- The longer-term effects of diplomatic expulsions and Bulgaria’s support for Ukraine on bilateral engagement are uncertain.