Bulgaria may suspend the transit of Russian gas to Serbia via the TurkStream pipeline starting in the new year if Gazprom fails to make payments that align with US sanctions imposed on Gazprombank, Bulgarian Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov stated.
He explained that the local energy company, Bulgartransgas, cannot continue delivering Russian gas without receiving the December payments from Gazprom. These payments have traditionally been processed through the sanctioned Gazprombank. Minister Malinov expressed his expectation that Gazprom would soon provide clarification on a new payment method. Gazprombank holds the primary capacity reserves for the expansion of TurkStream through Bulgaria to Serbia, making these payments vital for Bulgartransgas’ operations.
The recent US sanctions targeting Gazprombank have complicated financial transactions between Gazprom and Bulgartransgas, adding further uncertainty to the situation.
