Bulgaria gets six-month US sanctions waiver to keep Lukoil-linked dealings running

Bulgaria has obtained a temporary waiver from sanctions-related obligations that allows it to continue dealings with certain entities connected to Russian oil company Lukoil. The six-month extension was confirmed through a license issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the US Department of the Treasury, giving Bulgaria a defined window to maintain sanctioned-compliant operations.

The decision was finalized just before the previous exemption was due to expire at the end of April. That timing is significant for continuity: it helps ensure there is no break in permitted transactions involving Lukoil’s local subsidiaries. Bulgarian officials said the measure is intended to provide ongoing operational flexibility for the country’s energy sector.

US-Bulgaria coordination on energy and sanctions

The waiver comes after recent high-level discussions between Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier in April. The outcome underscores continued government coordination between Sofia and Washington on energy policy and sanctions-related matters, with the latest step translating diplomatic engagement into a concrete compliance mechanism for business activity tied to Lukoil.