SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgarians are voting Sunday in a parliamentary election that will determine whether the country continues to build a Russian gas pipeline (South Stream) that would give the Kremlin even more leverage over Europe's energy market — a project the European Union opposes.
The Balkan country of over 7 million is very much divided in its loyalties. Bulgaria belongs to NATO and the 28-nation European Union, but many Bulgarians feel a strong kinship to Russia, and the country's extensive dependence on Russian oil and gas leaves it vulnerable to political meddling by the Kremlin.
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