Washington's decision to blacklist Lukoil and Rosneft has thrown EU states where the two major Russian oil companies are present into chaos, as they try to prevent fuel supply disruptions before November 21, when the sanctions will take effect.

Bulgarian lawmakers on Friday approved a new bill that allows the government to appoint an administrator for the giant Burgas refinery, owned by Lukoil, giving it sweeping powers to take over operational control of the facility, approve its sale and, if necessary, nationalize it. In parallel, Sofia is seeking a waiver from sanctions, Politico writes.

Romania, where Lukoil owns the Petrotel refinery, has not yet made an official decision

However, Romania is considering requesting an"extension of the deadline" for the application of sanctions while it develops its own response plan, a senior government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Nationalization is seen as a"last resort," he added.

Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan told Politico that Romania is “operationally prepared” for any scenario. The government’s plan aims to “maintain economic activity in Romania, but also stop financing the Russian Federation,” he said.

Efforts to find new owners for the refineries were further questioned after Swiss trading company Gunvor withdrew its offer to buy Lukoil's international assets on Thursday, following a harsh reaction from the US Treasury to the proposed sale.

The new measures also affect other EU member states

Germany has secured a six-month waiver for the Rosneft-owned Schwedt refinery, which has been under government control since 2022. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán went to Washington on Friday to seek a waiver from sanctions on Russian oil imports via pipelines for Hungary and neighboring Slovakia.

The sanctions come as President Donald Trump grows frustrated with the stalemate in efforts to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine, and the European Union has stepped up its campaign in recent months to eliminate its remaining dependence on Russian energy.

Theoretically, obtaining exemptions or appointing a state administrator for refineries should not be a problem.

However, in the worst-case scenario, where refineries stop operating, the consequences would be very different for the two countries.

In Bulgaria, where the Russian-owned refinery provides up to 80% of the country's fuel needs, the shutdown would leave Sofia without supplies"until the end of the year," explained Martin Vladimirov, senior analyst at the Center for the Study of Democracy.

In Romania, the Petrotel refinery supplies about “20% of the national fuel,” according to Ana Otilia Nuțu, an energy analyst at Expert Forum. In that case, a shutdown would lead to “a few months” of moderate price increases, she said, while the country looks for alternative sources of imports.

However, a closure could affect exports to Moldova, she added. “And if Moldova is hit hard, Russia will immediately take advantage of this for another huge image blow,” Nuțu warned.