Bulgaria has refused to take part in a joint ‘common NATO’ fleet of Romania Ukraine and Turkey, aimed at deterring Russia in the Black Sea, the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced today (16 June).

The Bulgarian Prime Minister said that he had refused the proposal for such a fleet made by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis over his visit today. Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey are NATO members, while Ukraine wants to join the naval alliance.

“Our country will not become part of the Black Sea fleet being prepared against Russia”, Borissov said. He added that this didn’t prevent his country’s navy from conducting common exercises with Romania “every day”.

‘We will board the ships, we will waive our flags, but only Bulgaria and Romania”, he said, adding that any other scenarios could lead to a military conflict.

“I want to see in the Black Sea sailing ships, yachts, tourists, love and peace,” Borissov said.

The Prime Minister added that Bulgaria was among the most loyal EU countries and was doing what was expected from the European family. But he added that there was no way that Bulgaria would be attacked by Russia.

“You remember how our nuclear reactors from the Belene central left for Turkey. Not a single colleague spoke in my defence when President Putin, in the presence of Erdogan, waived his finger at me, saying that Bulgaria lost everything”, Borissov said.

Bulgaria drops nuclear power plant plans Bulgaria has abandoned plans to build its second nuclear power plant based on Russian technology, an official announced today (28 March). Dnevnik, the EURACTIV partner in Bulgaria, reports.

Indeed, under Western pressure, Bulgaria abandoned plans to build a nuclear central with Russian technology, and gave up the South Stream gas pipeline project. Putin made strong statements against Bulgaria, and in January 2015, Borissov warned that his country faced an energy catastrophe

Borissov warns of Bulgarian energy ‘catastrophe’ Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov paid a visit to the European Commission today (12 January) to sound the alarm over his country’s energy resources, following the freezing of the South Stream project. In particular, he warned that if Russia drags its feet over the rehabilitation of Bulgaria’s two nuclear reactors, this would be a “catastrophe” for the country.

The International Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva ruled in favor of the Russian Atomstroyexport company.

Atomstroy will receive €620 million in compensation from Bulgaria, a huge sum for the impoverished country.