The Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Sergei Stanishev, believes $5 billion in financing could be raised for Belene because Bulgaria is a major transport route between Italy and the Black Sea which are the primary destinations for gas. Even if Bulgaria's dependence on Russian gas increased due to the project, energy self-reliance would also increase making future supply problems less critical.

Another consideration is the EU's new mandate reagarding carbon reduction. By the year 2020 Bulgaria will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions to comply which is no small feat for a country that generates almost half of its electricity via coal. Bulgaria cannot fund large tidal or wind projects which require far more resources than they have available. Nuclear power is an alternative but funding limits are delaying the development of this clean power source.

Nonetheless, Russian financing may be off the table due to opposition from the Bulgarian parliament. Peter Kunev, Bulgarian Socialist Party, asked his government why Russian money was not better than Kuwaiti or Omani, or any other, putting it on the defensive.

Russian money should be the same, but if the Kremlin succeeds in gaining Bulgaria's equity in the Belene plant, the costs are exceedingly higher, suggested Bulgarian Minister of Economy, Petar Dimitrov. Bulgaria is seeking to negotiate with Russia without the support of Brussels or any European states. Negotiating power with Moscow will diminish once South Stream negotiations end, and Bulgaria's powerful neighbors will not look favorably on Bulgaria's willingness to enter into negotiations without their support. This unrest continues to fuel the political instability of the region and adds to the need to resolve these economic and energy issues.