NATO’s pledge to defend Ukraine in its row with Russia raises the question as to whether the transatlantic alliance could keep its commitment. History, technical issues, changing global political order, intra-alliance problems, and a lack of public support in the West for a war with Russia are rendering NATO unable to counter Russia in Ukraine, as well as the rest of eastern Europe, making a Russian victory ever more likely.
NATO’s Black Sea littoral states Romania and Bulgaria, in particular, are expected to play a crucial role in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Yet, they are aware that the benefits of getting along with Russia outweigh being NATO’s battering ram against Russia.
Bulgaria is predominantly dependent on Russian gas. Bulgaria’s pro-Russian president Rumen Radev has emphasized positive relations with Moscow to secure his country’s energy needs. The Bulgaria-Russia rapprochement has grown to a point where Washington felt compelled to threaten Sofia with sanctions for its involvement in the Turk Stream pipeline that carries Russian gas from Siberia to the Balkans. Läs artikel