A handful of EU countries say they have adequate reserves to wean themselves off Russian energy.
Germany, Poland, and Bulgaria have all signaled moves away from reliance on Russia for energy.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 kick-started long-stagnating efforts to reduce the bloc's Russian energy dependence.
But that dependence is profound: Russia supplied 41% of the EU's natural gas in 2019, the BBC reported.
On Wednesday, both countries, though heavily dependent on Russian energy, said they could source enough alternatives.
"Bulgaria will not negotiate under pressure and with its head bowed," said Alexander Nikolov, Bulgaria's energy minister, the news outlet Novinite reported.
The group instead recommended energy import tariffs that could be adjusted to exert economic pressure on Russia. »