FP: Sofia’s Choice

Bulgaria is becoming the latest wishbone in the struggle between Moscow’s efforts to assert its energy dominance over Europe and the West’s efforts to cage that gassy bear.

The latest chapter came Thursday, Jan. 15, when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, to visit the newly elected, Western-leaning government and urge Bulgaria to reduce its overwhelming dependence on Russian energy. The high-profile U.S. visit, which coincided with a similar mission by the British foreign secretary, came just as Russia raised the stakes in its energy tussle with Europe, reiterating its plans to cut Bulgaria out of its long-planned role as the entry point for a multibillion-dollar Russian natural gas pipeline to Europe by shipping gas via Turkey instead.

“No country in the world should be totally dependent for its energy supply on one other country,” Kerry said after meeting Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. “And the United States is prepared to help Bulgaria, which has made difficult decisions in order to try to protect its energy future,” he said in reference to Sofia’s instrumental role in finally scuppering another Russian pipeline plan, known as South Stream.

And Kerry also frankly acknowledged the risk of Russian retaliation, whether a disruption to energy supplies or something worse, as Bulgaria wriggles out of Moscow’s sphere of influence.  MORE