Defence spending, the US F-16s commissioned for the Bulgarian air force, European defence policies, the suspicions that Bulgaria is circumventing the energy sanctions against Russia, the stability of democracy in Bulgaria – these were the questions on which the interview given by PM Nikolai Denkov for the BBC’s HARDtalk centred. Nikolai Denkov stated that Sofia is doing everything it can to prevent any circumvention of the sanctions against Russia. As regards the suspicions surrounding the activities of Lukoil Neftochim, PM Denkov said allegations are often made which are not backed by any evidence, stating that at a national level, within the framework of the European regulations, the government is doing everything stipulated by these requirements, but that it is not enough because the problem is above all at a European level, and not at the level of individual countries, including Bulgaria.