On Wednesday, December 13, the Bulgarian Parliament took the first step toward lifting an exception from sanctions that brought millions of euros to the Russian Federation. The vote took place against the backdrop of increased pressure on the country from the EU, according to Politico. This move was planned earlier and was made shortly after Bulgaria imported Russian oil at a price higher than the one set by the Big Seven and the EU from August to October. This transaction brought 430 million euros in direct taxes to the Kremlin. This trade was legal because Bulgaria had a unique exemption fro…