Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (left), Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova (right)
Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova stated that Bulgaria is not vetoing sanctions against Russia, stressing that the current package is still being discussed among EU member states and that several countries have expressed reservations.
Speaking on bTV’s “This Morning,” Petrova said the process is still at a negotiating stage, meaning no final consensus has been reached. “At this stage, the states are expressing reservations. This is not about blocking,” she said, adding that a veto would only be relevant if there were full agreement and Bulgaria stood alone.
She noted that Bulgaria is not the only member state raising concerns, including on measures linked to Patriarch Kirill and certain energy-related provisions. “There is another country expressing reservations along these lines. The claims that we are the only ones are untrue,” Petrova said, while declining to identify the second country.
Petrova underlined that Bulgaria supports sanctions that have a direct economic impact on Russia and could encourage negotiations toward peace. “We support sanctions that lead to a direct economic effect on Russia and push it toward peace talks,” she said, adding that Sofia also backs measures that hurt Russia more than EU economies.
