If the EU wants to diminish Kremlin’s capacity to wage the war in Ukraine it needs to cut its dependence on oil and gas from Russia. Bulgaria has been the first country to stop gas imports. But its leaders insist Sofia cannot do without Russian oil.

This paper shows how Bulgaria can survive without Kremlin’s oil. The country can get supplies of crude oil and other feedstock from non-Russian sources. It can also get refined products if those are needed. And the country can probably do that at a cost that would not be much different from what it pays now for oil and for products.