Bulgarian Prime Minister supports the Trump-Putin agreement on diesel fuel and criticizes Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries

Gabriel Dumitrache

15 October 2026, 13:33

International

YURI KOCHETKOV / AFP / Profimedia

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Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Rumen Radev, endorsed Thursday morning in Brussels the controversial agreement on the supply of diesel fuel concluded between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The statements were made ahead of the European Council meeting, which is also attended by Romania’s President, Nicușor Dan.

Radev stated that any measure that lowers fuel prices and supports Europe’s competitiveness should be appreciated. His position contradicts the reaction of most European leaders, who described the agreement as risky and dangerous. To implement it, the United States relaxed, until April 2027, sanctions on imports of diesel fuel from Russia.

The Bulgarian prime minister also criticized Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries, arguing that he does not support attacks on energy infrastructure, regardless of which side is targeted. European leaders, by contrast, believe that strikes on refineries give Kyiv a significant advantage over Moscow.

Rumen Radev has recently stood out for positions favoring dialogue with the Kremlin, stating that the European strategy of “peace through strength” has failed. Separately, he is meeting with Nicușor Dan and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss security in the Black Sea and incidents caused by Russian drones.

Context: Bulgaria and Romania discuss security in the Black Sea, while Radev calls for dialogue with Russia

Before the meeting of the European Council, Romania’s president, Nicușor Dan, focused on discussions concerning drone attacks on vessels in the Black Sea. In the context of incidents occurring off the Bulgarian coast, the authorities in Sofia announced that they would investigate the attacks and initiate consultations with Romania and Turkey to increase the safety of navigation.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev also called on the EU to intensify dialogue with Russia in order to contribute to ending the war in Ukraine and reduce the risk of a nuclear escalation. He criticized the European strategy focused primarily on military support and advocated opening channels of communication with Moscow, rejecting accusations that his government had a pro-Russian position.

At the same time, Radev was described as having more moderate rhetoric toward Russia after Bulgaria decided not to join the coalition of states supporting Ukraine. In this context, he was also praised by Moscow for the change in tone, while discussions about Russian-Bulgarian cooperation were considered premature.