He told Bulgarian news agency BTA that the decision was made in coordination with the Joint Management Council and center‐right GERB Party leader Boyko Borissov.
“We jointly supported this extremely important strategic choice,” Zafirov said.
The official stated the reactors are not for sale because they are a strategic asset essential to Bulgaria’s energy independence.
In February 2025, Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko expressed concern about pro-Russian Bulgarian lawmakers who introduced a draft resolution in parliament to cancel the permit for selling the reactors to Ukraine. The permit was set to expire March 11.
On April 14, Ukrainian MPs indicated negotiations continue but are stalled as Bulgaria pushes to raise the price from $600 million to nearly $700 million.
Earlier this year, reports indicated Ukraine planned to buy the two reactors for the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant, a move expected to boost Ukraine’s energy capacity by nearly 2,200 megawatts. The government greenlit the expansion of the power plant in April 2024.