Bulgaria says Russia halting gas supplies would be breach of contract

Bulgaria has paid for Russian gas deliveries for April and halting gas supplies would be a breach of its current contract with Gazprom, energy minister Alexander Nikolov told reporters on Wednesday. He said Bulgaria would observe the European Commission's stance urging countries not to pay in roubles for Russian gas as demanded by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Because all trade and legal obligations are being observed, it is clear that at the moment the natural gas is being used more as a political and economic weapon in the current war," Nikolov said.