EN Main navigation CENTER PUBLICATIONS PODCASTS VIDEO CONTACT Home Publications VIEWPOINT 2021-08-31 Assertiveness assisted Changes in Bulgaria's policy towards Russia Mateusz Seroka The entire study in EPUB format 1.52 MB The entire study in PDF format 976.66 KB In March 2021, during the campaign before the parliamentary elections, Bulgarian counter-intelligence crashed the Russian spy network collecting information, including on Bulgaria's activity in NATO. This was not the first time that Russian intelligence had been attacked in recent years - since tensions began in 2019, Sofia has expelled nine diplomats from the country. The intensity of the disputes between the two countries contrasts with the traditionally good relations between them. In Bulgarian historical memory, Russia appears most often as a close ally in the fight against the Ottoman Empire. The Kremlin's great influence was also preserved after the fall of communism by Bulgaria's energy dependence on Russian resources. Unexpectedly, however, after 2014, a series of tensions arose between Sofia and Moscow, which seem to indicate a growing mutual distance. MOST READ week month German coalition agreement - state modernization plan There is strength in unity. Hungarian opposition with a chance of victory in 2022 Great Britain's military support for Ukraine Russia's Ukrainian dilemma: Moscow's strategy towards Kiev Russian military activity around Ukraine - an attempt to reconstruct the narrative OSW NEWSLETTER subscribe Privacy Policy | Accessibility declaration Center for Eastern Studies Karp brand ul. Koszykowa 6a, 00-564 Warsaw, phone: (+48) 22 525 80 00, fax: (+48) 22 525 80 40 e-mail: info@osw.waw.pl © OSW | Center for Eastern Studies Karp brand The website uses cookies to provide better access to the content offered, as well as for statistical purposes. By clicking on any link on this page, you consent to the use and storage of cookies. I agree