The Bulgarian parliament on Thursday overruled a presidential veto on legislation allowing the government to take control of Lukoil’s oil refinery and sell it to shield the asset from looming U.S. sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Britain imposed sanctions last month on Lukoil and Rosneft, Russia’s two biggest oil companies, escalating pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine and threatening their operations across Europe.

Lawmakers approved changes last week giving a government-appointed commercial manager powers to oversee the continued operation of Lukoil’s refinery in Bulgaria beyond November 21, when the U.S. sanctions are due to take effect, and to sell the company if needed.

President Rumen Radev vetoed the bi

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